Making the most of radiocarbon dating: some statistical considerations

Buck, Caitlin E.; Litton, C. D.; Scott, E. M.

doi:10.1017/s0003598x00046561

Cited by 54 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Points where radiocarbon sample measurements intersect the calibration curve a number of times (Pearson et al, 1986), or where the slope of the calibration curve is almost at, can be readily identi ed. In problem areas, even a high-precision radiocarbon measurement may represent a considerable period of time, or even more than one time interval, on the calendrical scale (Buck et al, 1994), due to the 'elastic' nature of 14 C time (Taylor et al, 1996). Clearly, in these instances, the precision of the calendar age assignment is low, but unless one selects new samples which fall outside the calibration plateaux or 'time warps', sensu Taylor et al (1996), there is little one can do to remedy this.…”

Section: Wiggle-match Datinghigh-precision Chronologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in solar activity and Holocene climatic shifts derived from 14C wiggle-match dated peat deposits

Mauquoy

Geel²,

Blaauw³

et al. 2004

The Holocene

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Closely spaced sequences of accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) 14 C dates of peat deposits display century-scale wiggles which can be tted to the radiocarbon calibration curve. By wiggle-matching such sequences, high-precision calendar age chronologies can be generated which show that changes in mire surface wetness during the Bronze Age/Iron Age transition (c. 850 cal. bc) and the 'Little Ice Age' (Wolf, Spörer, Maunder and Dalton Minima) occurred during periods of suddenly increasing atmospheric concentration of 14 C. Replicate evidence from peat-based proxy climate indicators in northwest Europe suggest these changes in climate may have been driven by temporary declines of solar activity. Carbon-accumulation rates of two raised peat bogs in the UK and Denmark record low values during the 'Little Ice Age' which re ects reduced primary productivity of the peat-forming vegetation during these periods of climatic deterioration.

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Section: Wiggle-match Datinghigh-precision Chronologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in solar activity and Holocene climatic shifts derived from 14C wiggle-match dated peat deposits

Mauquoy

Geel²,

Blaauw³

et al. 2004

The Holocene

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“…When OxCal was first released (1/8/1994, see Bronk Ramsey 1994, 1995 it provided, in addition to straight-forward calibration, various techniques for the analysis of groups of radiocarbon events in phases, sequences and (based largely on the work of Buck et al 1991Buck et al , 1992Buck et al , 1994. New techniques were also provided to test the internal consistency of these Models based on "agreement indices" (Bronk Ramsey 1995), which are, in effect pseudo Bayes factors (see for example chapter 9 of Gilks et al 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of the Radiocarbon Calibration Program

Ramsey¹

2001

Radiocarbon

1,746

552

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ABSTRACT. This paper highlights some of the main developments to the radiocarbon calibration program, OxCal. In addition to many cosmetic changes, the latest version of OxCal uses some different algorithms for the treatment of multiple phases. The theoretical framework behind these is discussed and some model calculations demonstrated. Significant changes have also been made to the sampling algorithms used which improve the convergence of the Bayesian analysis. The convergence itself is also reported in a more comprehensive way so that problems can be traced to specific parts of the model. The use of convergence data, and other techniques for testing the implications of particular models, are described.

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“…In archaeological literature this problem has been recognized only relatively recently, that is when scholars started working with large sets radiocarbon determinations rather than just a few dates as has been the case in the past (Buck et al, 1994(Buck et al, , 1996Ramsey, 2009aRamsey, , 2009b. One way to correct for stochastic effects is via Bayesian statistics, an approach that results in time intervals that are usually much shorter relative to what raw or calibrated dates indicate prior to statistical processing.…”

Section: Empirical Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, large series of dates allow identification of temporal variation and patterns in the data that are otherwise invisible or obliterated by typological dating (e.g., the Baikal region providing a classic example of such confusion; Weber, 1995;Weber et al, 2010b). Third, they make it possible to employ quantitative methods (Buck et al, 1994(Buck et al, , 1996Ramsey, 2009aRamsey, , 2009b to measure the impact of stochastic effects on the distribution of radiocarbon dates which, in turn and among other things, allows improved assessment of the tempo of culture change. Fourth, better chronological resolution facilitates matching of archaeological and paleoenvironmental sequences.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental change and cultural dynamics of Holocene hunter–gatherers in Northeast Asia: Comparative analyses and research potentials in Cis-Baikal (Siberia, Russia) and Hokkaido (Japan)

Weber

Jordan

Katô

2013

Quaternary International

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(250 words)While substantial progress has been achieved in hunter-gatherer research over the last century, it is still the case that our understanding of the cultural dynamism, variability, and resilience of Holocene hunter-gatherers remains rather impoverished. Emerging archaeological insights suggest that the prehistory of many forager societies included periods of sudden cultural transformation, marked by major shifts in subsistence strategies, settlement patterns and associated social life. Recent theoretical and methodological advances are enabling archaeologists to reconstruct the cultural dynamics of Holocene hunter-gatherers in an unprecedented degree of detail. This is especially true in regions that contain large prehistoric cemeteries, which can provide the base data for bioarchaeological reconstruction of individual life histories, shedding light on forager life-ways, their subsistence strategies and mobility patterns. Renewed attention is also being directed at the role of unstable environments and climate, which would have formed important contextual factors influencing how local cultural dynamics were played out. However, identifying explicit causal links between environmental instability and culture change remains empirically challenging. This paper investigates the major sequences of Holocene hunter-gatherer culture-change in two regions of Northeast Asia and details how the new Baikal-Hokkaido Archaeology Project will be researching the causal factors driving these cultural processes, including the possible role of climate and environment.

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Making the most of radiocarbon dating: some statistical considerations

Cited by 54 publications

References 14 publications

Changes in solar activity and Holocene climatic shifts derived from 14C wiggle-match dated peat deposits

Changes in solar activity and Holocene climatic shifts derived from 14C wiggle-match dated peat deposits

Development of the Radiocarbon Calibration Program

Environmental change and cultural dynamics of Holocene hunter–gatherers in Northeast Asia: Comparative analyses and research potentials in Cis-Baikal (Siberia, Russia) and Hokkaido (Japan)

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