Radiocarbon Dating of Calcareous Tufa: How Reliable Data can we Expect?

Srdoč, Dušan; Obelić, Bogomil; Hovatinčic, Nada; Sliepčević, Adela

doi:10.1017/s0033822200010249

Cited by 40 publications

(35 citation statements)

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“…In a study by Törnqvist et al (1992), however, N. lutea showed a full hardwater effect of about Rf = 500 yr, while the white water lily Nymphaea alba had a terrestrial 14 C age. Differences in 14 C levels for aquatic plants from the same region, as well as high and variable reservoir ages without differences in floating and submerged plants have previously been found (Olsson et al 1969;SrdoË et al 1980). Also, the range of  13 C values is large for the plants analyzed here and spans from -34.2 to -17.5‰ (Table 4).…”

Section: Aquatic Plantsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Freshwater Reservoir Effect Variability in Northern Germany

Philippsen

2013

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ABSTRACT. The freshwater reservoir effect is a potential problem when radiocarbon dating fish bones, shells, human bones, or food crusts on pottery from sites near rivers or lakes. The reservoir age in hardwater rivers can be up to several thousand years and may be highly variable. Accurate 14 C dating of freshwater-based samples requires knowing the order of magnitude of the reservoir effect and its degree of variability. Measurements on modern riverine materials may not give a single reservoir age correction that can be applied to archaeological samples, but they show the order of magnitude and variability that can also be expected for the past. This knowledge will be applied to the dating of food crusts on pottery from the Mesolithic sites Kayhude at the Alster River and Schlamersdorf at the Trave River, both in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany.

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Section: Aquatic Plantsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Freshwater Reservoir Effect Variability in Northern Germany

Philippsen

2013

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“…Since both tufa and lake sediment are precipitated from the same water and are chemically identical, the measured ao of the tufa sample from year 1919 can be used for the sediment initial activity. We also measured the activity of submerged aquatic plants and found that their activity corresponds to the activity of lake water (Srdoc et al, 1980 …”

Section: Diatom Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiocarbon Dating of Lake Sediment from Two Karst Lakes in Yugoslavia

et al. 1986

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ABSTRACT. Samples of sediment cores from two lakes in the karst area of northwest Yugoslavia were analyzed. Both Lakes Kozjak and Prosce are in the Plitvice National Park, Central Croatia. 14C dating, sedlimentologic, seismic, and isotopic studies, and distribution of diatoms are presented.14C dating of lake marl revealed a uniforn sedimentation rate in Lake Prosce as opposed to Lake Kozjak. Both lake sediments belong to the Holocene period. 14C dating of lake sediment is in agreement with seismic profiles, sedimentologic analysis, and diatom frequency measurements both in an undisturbed as well as in a disturbed lake sediment. INTROI)UCTIONA comprehensive study of aquatic chemistry, hydrobiology, and hydrogeology of the Plitvice Lakes included coring of lake sediment and a subsequent systematic analysis of cores. Samples of cores taken every 5 to 50cm (depending on the type of analysis) were analyzed for pollen, diatom, and ostracode content, followed by sedimentologic, trace element, x-ray diffraction, stable isotope, and 14C analyses. The 14C, stable isotope, and diatom population analyses are presented here, along with a brief description of seismic and sedimentologic work.Lake Kozjak core was retrieved from 24m water depth. Even though a surprisingly thick lake sediment prevented the extraction of all core material overlaying bedrock, the first 12m of sediment gave very useful and, to a certain extent, unexpected data. Radiocarbon ages of an acoustically wellstratified top section indicated a fairly constant sedimentation rate of 0.8mm/a for the last 1800 years. Lake Prosce core was retrieved from 17.2m water depth and reached the clayey residual layer overlaying bedrock. Radiocarbon dating of lake sediment revealed a uniform sedimentation rate(1.4mm/a) as opposed to Lake Kozjak sediments. Both lake sediments belong to the Holocene.The x-ray diffraction analyses showed that the sediments consist of calcite with traces of dolomite, indicating that the sediments were formed by decomposition of dissolved calcium bicarbonate without any significant contribution from detrital limestone or dolomite. This was substantiated by b' 3C data, ranging between -8.5%o and -8.8%o, which is typical of sediments of biogenic origin. Geologic SettingAccording to Polsak (1979) the Plitvice Lakes are surrounded by Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous beds. The whole area is gently folded and intersected by numerous faults. Two most prominent faults run in a north-

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“…Freshwater reservoir effects can vary significantly within one lake or river [18,25,26], even when only regarding submerged plants [26], or a single fish species from one lake [27]. Furthermore, the FRE influences radiocarbon dating in fjords and estuaries and can lead to site and time specific reservoir ages [28][29][30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The freshwater reservoir effect in radiocarbon dating

2013

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The freshwater reservoir effect can result in anomalously old radiocarbon ages of samples from lakes and rivers. This includes the bones of people whose subsistence was based on freshwater fish, and pottery in which fish was cooked. Water rich in dissolved ancient calcium carbonates, commonly known as hard water, is the most common reason for the freshwater reservoir effect. It is therefore also called hardwater effect. Although it has been known for more than 60 years, it is still less well-recognized by archaeologists than the marine reservoir effect. The aim of this study is to examine the order of magnitude and degree of variability of the freshwater reservoir effect over short and long timescales. Radiocarbon dating of recent water samples, aquatic plants, and animals, shows that age differences of up to 2000 14 C years can occur within one river. The freshwater reservoir effect has also implications for radiocarbon dating of Mesolithic pottery from inland sites of the Ertebølle culture in Northern Germany. The surprisingly old ages of the earliest pottery most probably are caused by a freshwater reservoir effect. In a sediment core from the Limfjord, northern Denmark, the impact of the freshwater reservoir effect on radiocarbon dating in an estuarine environment is examined. Here, freshwater influence causes reservoir ages to vary between 250 and 700 14 C years during the period 5400 BC -AD 700. The examples in this study show clearly that the freshwater reservoir effect can seriously corrupt radiocarbon dating at inland sites. Reservoir effects should therefore be considered whenever food remains on pottery or the bones of omnivores are radiocarbon dated -irrespective of the site's distance to the coast.

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Radiocarbon Dating of Calcareous Tufa: How Reliable Data can we Expect?

Cited by 40 publications

References 1 publication

Freshwater Reservoir Effect Variability in Northern Germany

Freshwater Reservoir Effect Variability in Northern Germany

Radiocarbon Dating of Lake Sediment from Two Karst Lakes in Yugoslavia

The freshwater reservoir effect in radiocarbon dating

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