Radiocarbon dating and the “old wood” problem: The case of the Hohokam chronology

Schiffer, Michael Brian

doi:10.1016/0305-4403(86)90024-5

Cited by 338 publications

(184 citation statements)

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“…Esto imposibilita utilizar un método basado en probabilidad bayesiana que ha resultado muy útil en el caso de la inferencia cronológica basada en C 14 (p.e., Michczynski y Pazdur 2003;Zeidler et al 1998;Ogburn 2012), pero nos permite trabajar con una base de datos mucho más amplia. Por lo demás, como ya veremos, fechar por termoluminiscencia vasijas con estilos claramente incaicos permite contrastar los resultados, obviando en parte la incertidumbre que potencialmente tienen las fechas basadas en C 14 por el posible sesgo de la madera antigua (Schiffer 1986), siempre latente en territorios áridos, como la mayor parte de las regiones aquí estudiadas. Para comprender mejor la posible diferenciación a lo largo del territorio chileno, hemos segregado las muestras en cuatro regiones, basándonos principalmente en grandes territorios en los que se puede observar cierto grado de unidad cultural en tiempos preincas e incaicos, y donde se reconocen procesos de incorporación al Tawantinsuyu.…”

Section: Antecedentes Datos Y Métodounclassified

Sobre La Cronología De La Imposición Cuzqueña en Chile

Cornejo

2014

Estud. atacam.

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ResumenSe discute la cronología en que el norte y centro de Chile fue incorporado al Tawantinsuyu. Partiendo de la ya generalizada opinión acerca de que la fecha de 1470 DC para la incorporación de estos territorios, propuesta a partir de los estudios clásicos de Rowe no coincide con los datos arqueológicos, se analiza una extensa base de datos de fechas de C 14 y termoluminiscencia, con lo cual generamos una probabilidad acumulada de la cronología inca en Chile. Nuestros resultados indican que este evento ocurrió casi 100 años antes de 1470 DC, aunque existirían diferencias entre las distintas regiones analizadas.Palabras claves: radiocarbono -termoluminiscencia -TawantinsuyuChile. Abstract We discuss the chronology of the incorporation of North and CentralChile into Tawantinsuyu. Based on the widespread view that Rowe's 1470 AD proposal does not match with the archaeological data, we analyze an extensive database of 14 C and thermoluminescence dates and generate an accumulated probability of inca's chronology in Chile.Our results indicate that this event occurred almost 100 years before 1470 AD, although differences between regions analyzed exist.Key words: radiocarbon -thermoluminescence -Tawantinsuyu -Chile. También existe en este tema una serie de dificultades analíticas propias del acercamiento arqueológico a la cronología. Éstas se relacionan principalmente con el margen de error de los métodos arqueométricos disponibles y el corto tiempo en que ocurrieron los hechos históricos asociados a la expansión incaica. Así, cualquier fecha C 14 con una σ relativamente pequeña, por ejemplo 40 años, podría encontrarse en cualquier punto dentro de un rango de 130 años, rango que en determinados lugares podría abarcar prácticamente todo el período incaico. De hecho, es común que muestras tomadas desde sitios sin evidencias europeas, tengan fechas cuya probabilidad incluye varios años dentro del período Colonial. A esto es necesario agregar aquellas incertidumbres propias de los procesos de formación 1

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Section: Antecedentes Datos Y Métodounclassified

Sobre La Cronología De La Imposición Cuzqueña en Chile

Cornejo

2014

Estud. atacam.

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“…Charcoal is commonly used for radiocarbon dating, especially in relatively old samples where the "old wood" effect (Schiffer 1986;Taylor 1987) is less relevant. The older the sample, the less 14 C is present, and hence contamination from other materials significantly alters the date obtained.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural Characterization of Charcoal Exposed to High and Low Ph: Implications for ¹⁴C Sample Preparation and Charcoal Preservation

et al. 2008

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ABSTRACT. Chemical and structural similarities between poorly preserved charcoal and its contaminants, as well as low radiocarbon concentrations in old samples, complicate 14 C age determinations. Here, we characterize 4 fossil charcoal samples from the late Middle Paleolithic and early Upper Paleolithic strata of Kebara Cave, Israel, with respect to the structural and chemical changes that occur when they are subjected to the acid-base-acid (ABA) treatment. Differential thermal analysis and TEM show that acid treatment disrupts the structure, whereas alkali treatment results in the reformation of molecular aggregates. The major changes are ascribed to the formation of salt bridges at high pH and the disruption of the graphite-like crystallites at low pH. Weight losses during the treatments are consistently greater for older samples, implying that they are less well preserved. Based on the changes observed in vitro due to pH fluctuations, various methods for removing contamination, as well as a mechanism for preferential preservation of charcoal in nature, are proposed.

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“…Taylor 1987) is also aided in these cases by directly dating artifacts or ecofacts from complex stratigraphic contexts or human bones rather than burial goods, which may be subject to curation, reuse, and transmission, and hence may predate the burial event by several hundred years or more. Dating a short-lived sample is more likely to be realized and the old-wood effect (Erlandson et al 1996;Kennett et al 2002;Schiffer 1986) avoided if individual twigs can be selected from an ancient firepit rather than the inner growth increment of a large tree trunk. Such short-lived terrestrial samples are ideal for characterizing local marine and freshwater reservoirs when compared to associated archaeological shells in midden contexts, minimizing a source of potential dating error in aquatic settings (Culleton 2006;Fontugne et al 2004;Ingram 1998;Kennett et al 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intrashell Radiocarbon Variability in Marine Mollusks

Culleton¹,

Kennett

Ingram

et al. 2006

Radiocarbon

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We demonstrate variable radiocarbon content within 2 historic (AD 1936) and 2 prehistoric (about 8200 BP and 3500 BP) Mytilus californianus shells from the Santa Barbara Channel region, California, USA. Historic specimens from the mainland coast exhibit a greater range of intrashell variability (i.e. 180–240 14C yr) than archaeological specimens from Daisy Cave on San Miguel Island (i.e. 120 14C yr in both shells). δ13C and δ18O profiles are in general agreement with the up welling of deep ocean water depleted in 14C as a determinant of local marine reservoir correction (ΔR) in the San Miguel Island samples. Upwelling cycles are difficult to identify in the mainland specimens, where intrashell variations in 14C content may be a complex product of oceanic mixing and periodic seasonal inputs of 14C-depeleted terrestrial runoff. Though the mechanisms controlling ΔR at subannual to annual scales are not entirely clear, the fluctuations represent significant sources of random dating error in marine environments, particularly if a small section of shell is selected for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating. For maximum precision and accuracy in AMS dating of marine shells, we recommend that archaeologists, paleontologists, and 14C lab personnel average out these variations by sampling across multiple increments of growth.

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Radiocarbon dating and the “old wood” problem: The case of the Hohokam chronology

Cited by 338 publications

References 8 publications

Sobre La Cronología De La Imposición Cuzqueña en Chile

Sobre La Cronología De La Imposición Cuzqueña en Chile

Structural Characterization of Charcoal Exposed to High and Low Ph: Implications for ¹⁴C Sample Preparation and Charcoal Preservation

Intrashell Radiocarbon Variability in Marine Mollusks

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Radiocarbon dating and the “old wood” problem: The case of the Hohokam chronology

Cited by 338 publications

References 8 publications

Sobre La Cronología De La Imposición Cuzqueña en Chile

Sobre La Cronología De La Imposición Cuzqueña en Chile

Structural Characterization of Charcoal Exposed to High and Low Ph: Implications for 14C Sample Preparation and Charcoal Preservation

Intrashell Radiocarbon Variability in Marine Mollusks

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Product

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Structural Characterization of Charcoal Exposed to High and Low Ph: Implications for ¹⁴C Sample Preparation and Charcoal Preservation