Dating the End of the Neolithic in an Eastern Sahara Oasis: Modeling Absolute Chronology

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The Neolithic site KS043, excavated by the Institut français d'archéologie orientale (IFAO), is situated in the southern basin of the Kharga Oasis (Egypt). It is one of the very few stratified prehistoric sites of the eastern Sahara. The archaeological remains were found near artesian springs that provided water for pastoralists during the dry Middle Holocene. In situ settlement features provided well-preserved material (charcoal, ashy sediment, ostrich eggshell) sufficient to perform radiocarbon dating in the IFAO laboratory in Cairo by the conventional liquid scintillation method. In 2 cases, ostrich eggshell and charcoal within the same in situ context gave significantly different results of, respectively, -600 and -1200 yr younger dates for the ostrich eggshells. The strong discrepancy is here highlighted for the first time and we suggest that it may be linked with postdepositional phenomena in the vicinity of the artesian springs. A thorough review of 14 C dates available for the Holocene in eastern Sahara shows that ostrich eggshells have been widely used. They seem slightly more prone to be discarded than other material but were never the object of a particular study in this context. Bayesian modeling shows that the Neolithic occupation at site KS043 spans a range from 5000 to 3950 cal BC (and concentrated around 4600-4350 cal BC). Characteristic flint tools and pottery relate this occupation to the end of the Neolithic and show links with the Tasian culture, confirming the timing of the presence of this cultural complex in the desert before its appearance in the Nile Valley.

Emulation in Painted Pottery Styles in Egypt in the Prehistoric Period

“…Conventional radiocarbon and AMS dating of the remains from Wadi Atulla, which is thought to have been one of the Tasian related sites, yielded calibrated dates of between 4940 and 4455 cal BC (5850 ± 50 BP and 5760 ± 70 BP uncalibrated) (Friedman and Hobbs 2002). South Kharga site KS043, which is considered to have been a Tasian-related site because of the presence of black topped ceramics and tulip beakers (i.e., caliciform beakers) (Briois et al 2012), indicates a date from 5000 to 3950 cal BC (concentrated around 4600-4350 cal BC) (Wuttmann et al 2012). Based on relative dating results, the Badarian is estimated to have preceded the Predynastic period (the Naqadian) in Upper Egypt.…”

New radiocarbon dates and the herder occupation at Kasteelberg B, South Africa

“…Wood 2015). Several recent publications provide a wide range of case studies showing how to refine the chronologies of occupation sequences and to determine the extent of associated gaps (Riede & Edinborough 2012; Wuttmann et al 2012; Allen & Morrison 2013; Cherkinsky & Di Lernia 2013; Burley & Edinborough 2014; Thakar 2014; Finkelstein & Piasetzky 2015). The use of such techniques on material from previous excavations can often shed new light on old debates (e.g.…”

Obituary: Michel Wuttmann (1995–2013)

“…We only have to consider the large amount of samples sent to the IFAO every year to understand the benefit of this laboratory for both Egyptology and the radiocarbon world. In particular, excavations and survey samples he dated are contributing to the large project of the ongoing construction of a precise chronology for ancient Egypt (Wuttmann et al 2012).…”