Radiocarbon

Deposits from the Minoan Santorini (Thera) eruption in the eastern Mediterranean region constitute the most important regional stratigraphic marker in the chronological perplexity of the 2nd millennium BCE. Extensive tsunami depos- its were discovered in Crete at the Minoan archaeological site of Palaikastro, containing reworked volcanic Santorini ash. Hence, airborne deposition of volcanic ash, probably during the 1st (Plinian) eruption phase, preceded the tsunami, which was apparently generated during the 3rd or 4th phase of the eruption, based on evidence from Thera. Average radiocarbon dates (uncalibrated) of animal bones in the Palaikastro tsunami deposits along the coast (3350 ± 25 BP) and at the inland archaeo- logical site (3352 ± 23 BP) are astoundingly similar to the average 14C date for the Minoan Santorini eruption at Akrotiri on Thera (3350 ± 10 BP). The wiggle-matched 14C date of the eruption in calendar years is 1627-1600 cal BCE. Late Minoan IA pottery is the younges...

Iroquoians become recognizable in the archaeological record of southern Ontario about AD 500, with the appearance of Princess Point sites and maize agriculture in the lower Grand River valley. AfterA.D. 1000, Iroquoians lived in longhouse villages situated in the interior, north ...

Pollen and high-resolution charcoal data from Bluff Lake and Crater Lake, California, indicate similar changes in climate, vegetation and fire history during the last 15 500 years. Pollen data at Bluff Lake suggest that the vegetation between c. 15 500 and 13 100 cal. BP consisted of subalpine parkland with scattered Pinus and Abies. After 13 100 cal. BP a relatively closed forest of P. monticola, P. contorta and Abies developed, and fire-event frequency was low. The inferred climate then was cooler and wetter than present. Pinus and Quercus vaccinifolia dominated at both sites during the early Holocene, when conditions were warm and dry. As climate became wetter and cooler in the late Holocene, Abies spp. at both sites and Tsuga mertensiana at Crater Lake increased in importance, displacing Pinus and Quercus. The two lake records have similar trends in fire history, with high event frequencies at c. 8400, 4000 and 1000 cal. BP and low values at c. 4800 cal. BP. The fire and vegetation history at both sites suggests a similar response to large-scale changes in climate during the Holocene.

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a powerful tool in organic geochemistry by providing detailed information about an individual organic compound's history with regard to its source and process of formation. Most CSIA involves measurement of the stable isotope ratio of carbon ( 13 C/ 12 C) and hydrogen (D/H) following separation by gas or liquid chromatography. New applications are being developed using compound-specific radiocarbon ( 14 C) content for delineating age of materials, rates of decomposition and residence time in various environments. This paper details the isotopic work on specific lignin monomers derived from terrestrial plants transported and deposited within the Altamaha River, estuary and off-shore Georgia in the Atlantic Ocean. By using gas chromatographic separation and identification of selected lignin oxidation products (LOP), the harvesting of these compounds using preparative fraction collection, and measurement of their 14 C content using accelerator mass spectrometry, details of the age and presence of specific biomarkers unique to a given terrestrial source are revealed. Radiocarbon ages determined from water-column particulate organic carbon and sediment LOPs indicate a range of ages from modern to well over 5,000 years for the former and latter respectively. Transport mechanisms and particle size associations on mineral grains may play a significant role in 14 C distribution in estuary and near-shore coastal environments. This data indicates higher than modern 14 C activities in large particle-size sediment fractions in contrast to older LOP 14 C ages found associated with the same coarse grain sediments. Individual LOP ages substantiate older terrestrial materials persist in the offshore environment even though in the presence of modern marine 14 C sources. Ó 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. 0168-583X/$ -see front matter Ó 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. http://dx.

Guilanyà es un asentamiento localizado en las primeras estribaciones del Prepirineo de Lleida, a 1.150 m de altitud. En este artículo se exponen las observaciones preliminares derivadas de un sondeo realizado en el verano del 2008, que ha permitido definir los niveles arqueológicos K y EJ. Paralelamente, se presentan nuevas dataciones por 14 C AMS que contextualizan cronométricamente la secuencia Tardiglaciar de este yacimiento. Estos resultados permiten identificar la gestión recurrente de los ecosistemas de montaña durante la mejora Bolling/Allerod. Las características tecno-tipológicas que se reconocen en estos niveles nos permiten asignarlos al Aziliense, tradición cultural escasamente visualizada en la vertiente sur de los Pirineos.

One of the most impressive structures in Jerusalem’s ancient landscape is the tower that was built to surround and protect the Gihon Spring, Jerusalem’s perennial water source. The structure, first discovered by Reich and Shukron (2004), encompasses the cave in which the spring sprouts from, with walls 7 m thick built of large boulders. The Spring Tower, along with the other features relating to it, were all attributed to the Middle Bronze Age II, based on their architectural and stratigraphical relationship, the type of architecture, and the pottery found. In the continued excavations carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority along the outer, eastern face of the Spring Tower, it was noted that at least the northeast side of the tower was not built on bedrock, but rather on layers of sediment, which were sealed by the massive boulders at the base of the tower. In order to provide an absolute dating for the structure, two sections were sampled for radiocarbon (14C) dating benea...

ABSTRACTTollund Man is one of the most famous Iron Age bog bodies due to his well-preserved head. Since he was unearthed in 1950 in Bjældskovdal, Denmark, he has been subjected to several scientific investigations, but until now no attempts to reconstruct his general diet through isotope analyses have been conducted. Furthermore, previous radiocarbon (14C) analyses have only been able to date him broadly to the 3rd–4th century BC. In this study, stable isotope measurements (δ13C, δ15N) on bone collagen from Tollund Man’s femur and rib showed that the diet of Tollund Man was terrestrial-based and that the crops he ate probably were grown on manured fields. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dates were obtained on both the <30kDa and >30kDa fractions of ultrafiltered collagen. Results showed that the ultrafiltration removed contamination from older substances from the burial environment. The femur was dated to 2330±23 BP, the rib to 2322±30 BP. These dates statistically agr...

This paper provides a summary overview of the current state-of-art in the radiocarbon dating of groundwater. While the use of natural14C measurements in applied hydrogeology still presents a difficult challenge, meaningful dates can be achieved if they are determined and interpreted in conjunction with the analyses of other isotopic species that occur in the natural environment. Although14C dating of groundwater can be, and often is, carried out as a matter of routine, any specific case study requires its own scientific design and effort. As is widely recognized, and discussed in considerable detail throughout the scientific literature, there are many hydrogeochemical reactions and/or physical processes that can alter the natural14C enrichment measured in environmental materials. Fortunately, for fresh groundwater resources such effects are in general well defined and therefore of limited significance. The primary challenge in applied groundwater dating is with the development of th...

It is difficult to construct archaeological chronologies for Babeldaob, the main island of Palau (western Micronesia), because the saprolitic clays of the dominant terraced-hill sites and associated ceramic sherds often contain old carbon that originated in lignites. This has implications, as well, for chronologies of sedimentary sequences. Comparative analysis of the dating problem using lignite, pottery, and charcoal samples indicates that, in fact, there are both old and young sources of potential contamination. It is concluded that radiocarbon samples from Babeldaob need to be tested for appropriate carbon content rather than relying solely upon material identification.

Between 1984 and 1995 over 450 organic samples were collected from monuments built during the Old and Middle Kingdoms. The most suitable samples were selected for dating. The purpose was to establish a radiocarbon chronology with samples from secure context and collected with the careful techniques required for 14 C samples. This chronology is compared to the historical chronology established by reconstructing written documentation.

This study estimates the maximum and minimum degrees of autocompaction for radiocarbon-dated Holocene mangrove sediments in Singapore, in order to correct apparent sediment accretion rates for the effects of sediment compression due to autocompaction. Relationships developed for a suite of modern (surface) sediment samples between bulk density, particle-size distribution, and organic matter content were used to estimate the initial (uncompacted) bulk density of buried and variably compressed Holocene sediments, based on the grain-size distribution and organic matter content of the sediment. The difference between measured (compacted) and initial (uncompacted) bulk density of each buried sediment interval can be interpreted as the amount of length shortening experienced by each interval since burial. This allows the elevation of samples selected for 14C dating to be corrected for the effects of autocompaction of the underlying sediment sequence, so that accurate estimates of vertical...

Radiocarbon measurements by two 1220 Quantulus™ ultra low background liquid scintillation spectrometers were performed at the underground laboratory of Gran Sasso and the Radiocarbon Laboratory of E.N.E.A.-Bologna to study the efficiency and background variations related to measurement sites. The same configuration setup, i.e. the same center of gravity of the 14 C spectrum (SQP(I) = 410 ± 1) was obtained in both instruments. Many different background and modern standards with pure analytical benzene were used and spectra for 40 one-hour periods were obtained. The data indicates a background reduction of approximately 65% between the surface and underground laboratories, with no differences in the efficiency. Recording similar efficiencies in both spectrometers is probably due to fairly identical photomultiplier characteristics. The cosmic noise reduction observed at the laboratory of Gran Sasso makes it possible to perform high precision 14 C measurements and to extend for these idealized samples the present maximum dating limit from 58,000 BP to 62,000 BP (5 mL, 3 days counting).

The article concerns results of radio-carbon dating of the horse bones found during excavation of funeral complexes in Altai dated by II century BC – V century AD. It is part of system studying of ancient and medieval horses from archaeological sites. This work is carried out for two last decades with involvement of different experts from the natural-science sphere of knowledge. The analysis of osteological materials from the necropolises Yaloman-II and Stepushka-I relating to various stages of Bulan-Koby culture is so far carried out. The received data have essential value not only for definition of date of creation of each object and specification of a chronological framework of certain animal populations existence. It also gives the chance for consideration of the fixed objective information in a historical context with an exit to private and general reconstruction.

Carbonate is abundant in many Neolithic tells and is a potentially useful archive for dating and climate reconstruction. In this paper, we focus on the mineralogy, radiocarbon dating, and stable isotope systematics of carbonate in hackberry endocarps. Hackberry fruits and seeds are edible in fresh and stored forms, and they were consumed in large quantities in many Neolithic sites in the Near East, including the site of our study, Aşıklı Höyük in central Anatolia, an Aceramic Neolithic tell occupied from about 9.4 to >10.3 BP (7.4 to >8.3 BCE). Detailed 14 C age control provided by archaeological charcoal permits a test of the fidelity in 14 C dating of hackberry endocarps. Modern endocarps and leaves yield fraction modern 14 C values of 1.050-1.066, consistent with levels present in the atmosphere when sampled in 2009. On the other hand, archaeological endocarps yield consistently younger ages than associated charcoal by ca. 130 14 C years (ca. 220 calendar years) for samples about 10,000 years old. We speculate this is caused by the slight addition of calcite or recrystallization to calcite in the endocarp, as detected by scanning electron microscopy. Subtle addition or replacement of calcite by primary aragonite is not widely recognized in the 14 C community, even though similar effects are reported from other natural carbonates such as shell carbonate. This small (but consistent) level of contamination supports the usefulness of endocarps in dating where other materials like charcoal are lacking. Before dating, however, hackberries should be carefully screened for mineralogical preservation and context. We examined the carbon and oxygen isotopic systematics of the fossil endocarps to try to establish potential source areas for harvesting. Most of the hackberries are enriched in 18 O compared to local water sources, indicating that they were drawing on highly evaporated soil water, rather than the local (perched and regional) water table sampled in our study. Isotopic evidence therefore suggests that most but not all of the hackberries were harvested from nearby mesas well above the local streams and seeps fed by the water table.

Les datations absolues realisees au radiocarbone ont permis de conferer un contexte et d'elaborer une carte chronoculturelle des occupations diverses et successives du site de Can Roqueta, depuis les structures du Neolithique ancien cardial et postcardial en passant par celles des periodes du Bronze initial, du Bronze final, la transition au Fer et la premiere moitie de l'Âge de Fer. Elles permettent d'etablir des correlations entre la culture materielle, les morphologies des structures et leurs fonctionnalites au sein de ce site archeologique du Valles pendant la Prehistoire recente.

The dating of selected archaeological and megafaunal sites from the Australian region is reviewed, with emphasis on recent work at some of the oldest sites. Improved chemical procedures with decreased analytical background for 14 C analysis, combined with new luminescence dating methods, has confirmed many of the results processed decades ago and significantly increased the maximum age for some others. The oldest occupation horizons in four different regions reliably dated by defendable multi-method results are in the range 42-48,000 calendar years ago, overlapping with the age range for similarly well-dated undisturbed sites containing the youngest extinct megafauna. There is less secure evidence suggesting some archaeology may be earlier and some megafauna may have survived later than this period.

UPS AND DOWNS AT KANESH proposes a revised sequence of Old Assyrian eponyms and establishes a relative and an absolute chronology by way of linking textual evidence, dendrochronology and archaeological stratigraphy. This chronological framework is used to trace broader historical and social developments of political and territorial centralisation in Anatolia, as well as to offer new insights in the social and commercial history of the Old Assyrian trade.
A number of economic and social transformations in Assyrian society over the course of two centuries are identified by way of a statistical and prosopographical analysis. It is shown how the economic system that drove the well-known overland trade of the early Colony Period collapsed in a dramatic fashion after only thirty years (c. 1895-1865 BC), and that a series of changes in administrative organisation were created in immediate response. A primary vehicle in financing the trade – the joint-stock enterprise – was abandoned, and exchange came to be organised by way of venture trade. A distinct community of hybrid Assyrian-Anatolian households grew more prominent as mixed families came to be engaged mainly in local Anatolian trade and agriculture. In turn, a small and wealthy Assyrian elite functioned as permanently settled foreign trading agents, and a distinctive group of itinerant merchants continued to engage in the caravan trade and connect the Anatolian colonies to the mother city of Assur.

Egypt take place all through the Bronze Age in very different forms. The hypothesis of an "African" influence on the development of Minoan civilization seems by now very reductive and unlikely, and the arguments advocated have proven to be controversial and outdated.. Direct and indirect contacts are attested from an archaeological point of view from as early as the Early Bronze Age, and become increasingly significant in correspondence with the development of the Middle Kingdom and later Hyksos/Canaanite international trading networks. Between the Middle and Late Bronze Age interrelations between Minoan Crete and Egypt certainly started to reach significant proportions and an official status, with Minoan artisans

Stratigraphy, radiocarbon dating and analyses of pollen, plant macrofossils and testate amoebae were used to reconstruct the development and ecology of a small raised bog in a karst-dominated landscape in the Swiss Jura Mountains. Special focus was on past vegetation and on the history of Pinus rotundata in relation to anthropogenic and climatic influences. Testate amoebae were used to reconstruct past local soil pH and water-table depth. The inferred development of the Praz-Rodet bog typifies a classic hydroseral terrestrialization of a small basin. Two features are specific for this site. First, the bog was much wetter than today for a long period; according to our hypothesis, this only changed as a consequence of human activities. Second, two hiatuses are present at the coring location (Younger Dryas-early Preboreal, and 4700-2800 cal. yr BP), the former probably caused by low lake productivity due to cold temperatures and the latter by the erosional activity of the adjacent small river. The date of 2800 cal. yr BP for renewed peat accumulation may be related to climatic change (Subboreal-Subatlantic transition). Pollen indicators failed to show one hiatus: an apparently complete pollen sequence is therefore no guarantee of an uninterrupted sediment accumulation. Evidence of early minor human impact on the vegetation in the Joux Valley dates back to c. 6850 calendar years, congruous with the early Neolithic in the Jura Mountains. The history of Pinus rotundata appears to be more complex than previously believed. Human activity is clearly responsible for the present abundance of this species, but the tree was naturally present on the bog long before the first evidence of important human disturbance of the site (1500 cal. yr BP). It is suggested that, in karst-dominated landscapes, dense forests growing on mineral soils around raised bogs may significantly reduce summer evapotranspiration by acting as windbreaks. Forest clearance results in increased evapotranspiration, causing a lowering of the water table on the bog and a modification of the vegetation cover. This hypothesis has implications for the management of similar small raised bogs in karst-dominated landscape.

A classic exposition of the difficulties of dating a major monument and why it matters. Silbury Hill, one of the world's largest prehistoric earth mounds, is too valuable to take apart, so we are reliant on samples taken from tunnels and chance exposures. Presenting a new edition of thirty radiocarbon dates, the authors offer models of short-or long-term construction, and their implications for the ritual landscape of Silbury and Stonehenge. The sequence in which monuments, and bits of monuments, were built gives us the kind and history of societies doing the building. So nothing matters more than the dates . . .

Deposits from the Minoan Santorini (Thera) eruption in the eastern Mediterranean region constitute the most important regional stratigraphic marker in the chronological perplexity of the 2nd millennium BCE. Extensive tsunami deposits were discovered in Crete at the Minoan archaeological site of Palaikastro, containing reworked volcanic Santorini ash. Hence, airborne deposition of volcanic ash, probably during the 1st (Plinian) eruption phase, preceded the tsunami, which was apparently generated during the 3rd or 4th phase of the eruption, based on evidence from Thera. Average radiocarbon dates (uncalibrated) of animal bones in the Palaikastro tsunami deposits along the coast (3350 ± 25 BP) and at the inland archaeological site (3352 ± 23 BP) are astoundingly similar to the average 14 C date for the Minoan Santorini eruption at Akrotiri on Thera (3350 ± 10 BP). The wiggle-matched 14 C date of the eruption in calendar years is 1627-1600 cal BCE. Late Minoan IA pottery is the youngest element in the Palaikastro tsunami deposits, fitting with the LM IA archaeological date for the Santorini eruption, conventionally linked at ~1500 BCE with Dynasty XVIII of the historical Egyptian chronology. The reasons for the discrepancy of 100-150 yr between 14 C dating and Egyptian chronology for part of the 2nd millennium BCE are unknown. 14 C dates from Tell el-Dab c a in the eastern Nile Delta show that the 14 C age of the Santorini eruption matches with 14 C results from 18th Dynasty strata C3 and C2, thereby confirming grosso modo the conventional archaeo-historical correlations between the Aegean and Egypt. We propose that a dual dating system is used in parallel: (1) archaeological materialcultural correlations linked to Egyptian chronology; (2) 14 C dating. Mixing of dates from the 2 systems may lead to erroneous archaeological and historical correlations. A "calibration curve" should be established between Egyptian chronology and 14 C dating for the 2nd millennium BCE, which may also assist to resolve the cause of the discrepancy.

This paper synthesizes the currently available data on the radiocarbon chronology of the south-western Iberian Bronze Age. First, the bulk of c. 1000 existing dates for southern Iberian Late Prehistory is analysed, and its main issues discussed. Secondly, a discussion is presented of the main features of settlement and funerary patterns in the south-western Bronze Age as dated by radiocarbon, with special emphasis in issues such as their temporal evolution and synchrony with the south-eastern record.

Chronology is the backbone of all history, as the flow of time is identical in scholarly and scientific fields, even in the Near East. Radiocarbon dating can provide an essential and unifying chronological basis across disciplines, despite precision limitations. This issue presents exciting new 14 C developments in archaeological and environmental contexts, ranging from Proto-Neolithic cultures to historic earthquakes along the Dead Sea. Dark periods devoid of settlement in the deserts of the southern Levant seem to disappear with 14 C dating. Significant new findings collectively indicate the need for major chronological revisions in the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE in Egypt and the Levant. The implications for the 2nd millennium BCE are not yet established, but the use of 14 C dating in the Iron Age is finally beginning to focus on current controversies. The chronological way forward for Dynastic Egypt and the Levantine Bronze and Iron Ages is a multi-disciplinary approach based on detailed high-quality 14 C series as a unifying time foundation to anchor archaeological, textual, and astronomical data.

High-quality data from appropriate archives are needed for the continuing improvement of radiocarbon calibration curves. We discuss here the basic assumptions behind 14C dating that necessitate calibration and the relative strengths and weaknesses of archives from which calibration data are obtained. We also highlight the procedures, problems, and uncertainties involved in determining atmospheric and surface ocean 14C/12C in these archives, including a discussion of the various methods used to derive an independent absolute timescale and uncertainty. The types of data required for the current IntCal database and calibration curve model are tabulated with examples.

RAPA NUl, THE SMALL REMOTE ISLAND that constitutes the easternmost corner of the Polynesian triangle, was found and populated long before the Europeans "discovered" this part of the world in 1722. The long-standing questions concerning this remarkable island are: who were the first to populate the island, at what time was it populated, and did the Rapa Nui population and development on the island result from a single voyage? Over the years there has been much discussion, speculation, and new scientific results concerning these questions. This has resulted in several conferences and numerous scientific and popular papers and monographs. The aim ofthis paper is to present the contemporary views on these issues, drawn from the results of the last 45 years of archaeological research on the island , and to describe recent fieldwork that Martinsson-Wallin completed on Rapa Nui.

Traditional archaeological approaches in the central Negev Desert used to employ excavation techniques in post-prehistoric periods in which stratigraphy is based on architecture, while material culture forms the basis for dating assessment and chronology. Such an approach was understandable, as it focused on the most visible remains of past human habitation. However, the detailed habitation record is in the soil rather than in the walls. Moreover, ceramics and stone tools in desert cultures often have limited time resolution in terms of absolute chronology. The rural desert site of Horvat Haluqim in the central Negev yielded 2 habitation periods with the traditional methodology: (1) Roman period, 2nd–3rd centuries CE; (2) Iron Age IIA, 10th century BCE. We have conducted at Horvat Haluqim initial excavations in small building remains that were never excavated before. Our excavation methodology focuses on detailed examination of the archaeological soil in building structures, coupled...

As revealed by 18 AMS radiocarbon and 24 OSL/IRSL ages the Dunaszekcs} o loess-paleosol sequence is an excellent terrestrial record of paleoenvironmental change in the Carpathian Basin for the last 130 ka, with significant soil forming episodes during the Eemian interglacial (130e115 ka, MIS 5e) and in some subsequent MIS 5 stages, and distinct periods of loess accumulations during the MIS 4 and MIS 2. Charcoals from the sequence made it possible to test the accuracy of 14 C ages from mollusc shells. This approach revealed that 14 C ages from some gastropods having small shells (<10 mm) (Succinella oblonga, Vitrea crystallina) are statistically indistinguishable from the ages of charcoals, while others (Clausiliidae sp., Chondrula tridens) show age anomalies up to 600e800 years. OSL and pIRIR@290 ages are found to be consistently older, while post-IR OSL ages are younger than the 14 C ages from charcoals and molluscs by some thousands of years, except for pIRIR@225 ages that match the radiocarbon ages quite well. OSL and IRSL ages have scatters up to 7e10 thousand years within 40 ka, while charcoals and small molluscs yield consistent ages with relatively low variability. Beyond the observation that some small molluscs seem to yield reliable 14 C ages, calibrated 2s age ranges of the radiocarbon data (ca 500e800 years for 20 to 30 ka) are an order of magnitude narrower than those of the OSL/IRSL methods (1800e4000 years for 25 to 35 ka). Thus, for establishing chronologies within 40 ka, which are both accurate and precise enough to address issues like synchroneity of millennial-scale paleoenvironmental events across regions (e.g. North Atlantic and Europe), AMS radiocarbon dating of shells of specific loess molluscs and charcoals may probably be a powerful chronological tool. However, additional work is definitely required involving 14 C and OSL/IRSL dates from other loess sequences to further test the performance of these two supposedly robust chronometers.

ABSTRACT This article is a rejoinder to a recent paper in this journal by van der Plicht et al. (2009) who use radiocarbon determinations from several sites in Israel, Italy, Spain, and Tunisia to advocate a High Chronology system for the entire Mediterranean Basin. We contend that they reached mistaken conclusions due to problematic selection of sites and data. We argue that a reliable way to provide absolute dates for the Iron Age in the central and western Mediterranean is by employing a combination of well-identified Greek pottery found in well-stratified sites and radiometric results from short-lived samples. For the time being, this combination exists only in the Levant, and provides an anchor for Greek chronology, which supports the Conventional Chronology for the Aegean Basin, which corresponds to the Low Chronology in the Levant.

This paper reports the results of the application of a calcined bone dating protocol to samples collected from the Sanctuary of Zeus on Mt. Lykaion in southern Greece. The site is a mountaintop ash altar rich in anthropogenic sediments, burned bone, and artifacts offered to the god Zeus. Experiments involving time series hydrolysis measurements were conducted on calcined bones from stratified layers throughout the sequence to determine if any of the samples underwent surface contamination from carbonate exchange with the surrounding sedimentary matrix. It was determined that such exchange was unlikely, but samples were acid-etched before pretreatment as a precautionary measure. Paired samples of seeds, charcoal, and calcined animal bone collected from a sediment column in the altar demonstrate the effectiveness of the calcined bone dating technique in this context. The results of dating indicate that the altar was in use from the Mycenaean period through the late Classical period, though samples were not collected from the upper levels of the site due to possible mixing of surface sediments. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements were taken and crystallinity index values calculated, confirming that the bone samples are indeed calcined. The results presented here correspond with literary accounts of ritual animal sacrifice from historical texts from the 8th century BCE, including the Homeric epics.

We review the archaeological, chronological, and biological data from multiple karst caves in southern China that date to the late-Paleolithic to early-Neolithic transition. Our review shows that the radiocarbon dates, although having a large quantity, do not align with the known cultural sequences correlated among the cave sites (based on the degree of sophistication of artefact manufacturing) and they conflict with the corresponding paleoclimatic conditions revealed by the biological data. Most of these radiocarbon dates are older than expected, and their samples probably incorporate dead carbon through the reaction with groundwater. We argue that, when correlated with global paleoclimate records, the chronological framework provided by the biological datasets provides a more robust chronology than the available radiocarbon dates. Accordingly, all the Neolithic layers reviewed, with their plentiful biological remains of tropical/subtropical and aquatic/water-loving species, are likely to have been deposited in Holocene, and the Paleolithic cultural layers likely date to the Younger Dryas or the Bølling-Allerød. Our review suggests that the late-to-postglacial climate change helped initiate the development of Neolithic cultures in East Asia. We attribute this development to the growth of creeks/wetlands and their associated ecosystems (including the spreading of wild rice) during the period of climate warming and wetting, which greatly increased accessible food, water, and mud resources, providing opportunities for ancient peoples to recognize wild rice and to invent polishing stone tools and making pinched earthenware.

Our stratified radiocarbon dates from EB Jericho (Trench III) on short-lived material are significantly older than conventional archaeo-historical time frameworks. The calibrated 14 C date of Stage XV Phase li-lii (Early to Middle EB-I Kenyon) is 100-450 years older. Stage XVI Phase lxi-lxii (Early EB-II Kenyon) is 200-500 years older. Stage XVI Phase lxii-lxiii (destructive end EB-II) is 200-300 years older. Stage XVII Phase lxviii a -lxix a (Early EB-III) is 100-300 years older than conventional archaeo-historical time estimates. As the beginning of the Chalcolithic in the Near East has "become" a 1000 years older, from about 4000 in the 1960s to about 5000 BC in current perception based on 14 C dating, it should not be surprising that the Early Bronze Age and related Egyptian Dynasties also yield 14 C dates that are older by a few hundred years than current archaeo-historical time frameworks. Egyptian chronology should not be regarded as ultimately fixed. Egyptologists in the first half of the 20th century gave much older dates for the earlier Dynasties. The new 14 C evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of an older Early Bronze Age and older dates for Dynasties 1-6.

It has been shown that extremely accurate absolute dates can be obtained for the silty sediments from the ancient basin of Mā'rib (Yemen) by means of AMS assay of the radiocarbon contained in detrital charcoal fragments. The results obtained indicate that the silty sediments relating to the final period of activity of the ancient Sabaean dam of Mā'rib are no earlier than the beginning of the Christian era and no later than the end of the 3rd century. This new evidence disagrees with historical sources, which give the collapse of the famous Sabaean dam a much later date. The inexorable silting up of the water storage basin and the declining importance of the locality as a caravan station are proposed as the main causes of the decline of the entire Mā'rib hydrogeological system. 14 C analysis confirms that the earliest irrigation systems in the Wādī Danah probably date from the late 4th millennium or early 3rd millennium .

The excavations at Kotias Résumé : Les fouilles conduites à Kotias Klde, une grotte karstique de l'Ouest de la Géorgie, ont permis de mettre au jour une séquence formée de quelques restes de l'âge du Bronze qui surmontent une séquence néolithique (A1 et A2), une couche complexe mésolithique (B) et le sommet d'une couche C, qui relèverait d'un Paléolithique supérieur tardif. Ce rapport préliminaire porte sur les assemblages du dépôt mésolithique daté de 12 400-10 380 cal. BP, dont l'industrie particulière se caractérise par des formes variées et par un assemblage faunique composé de restes de chasse à l'ours brun.