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Focusing on the Old Wood Problem: A Response to Hart and Nolan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Robert A. Cook
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210–1106 (robertcook526@gmail.com)
Aaron R. Comstock
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210–1106 (robertcook526@gmail.com)

Abstract

Our recent paper demonstrated that radiocarbon assays sampled from wood charcoal were not systematically skewed when compared to non-wood samples from the same site. This suggests that the “old wood” problem may not be quite as problematic in the temperate Middle Ohio Valley as many suspect. In their comment, Hart and Nolan missed our broader point and mischaracterized our findings. Specifically, we did not suggest that our findings apply to the entirety of eastern North America, nor did we make analytical errors. A thorough reading of our paper clearly supports the following rebuttal. Our main point is that scholars should think twice before discarding radiocarbon dates from wood charcoal, for in some contexts they are the most useful means of determining important chronological information. Despite the suggestion to the contrary, “old wood” concerns do form elements of several hygiene protocols, including Nolan's (2012).

Résumé

Résumé

Nuestro reciente trabajo demostró que lasfechas de radiocarbono realizadas con madera carbonizada no son sistemóticamente sesgadas cuando son comparadas con las muestras sin madera quefueran recolectadas en el mismo sitio. Este resultado indica la posibilidad de que el problema de “madera vieja” noes tan problemdtico en la zona templada del medio del Valle de Ohio como muchos investigadores sospechan. En su comentario, Harty Nolan no captaron bien nuestro argumentoy malinterpretaron nuestras conclusiones. En concreto, no planteamos que nuestros resultados sean aplicables a la totalidad del este de América del Norte y tampoco cometimos errores en el andlisis. Una lectura minuciosa de nuestro articulo apoya claramente la siguiente afirmación: los investigadores deben pensar dos veces antes de desechar lasfechas de radiocarbono de madera carbonizada. Esto es debido a que en algunos contextos representa el medio más útil para determinar informatión cronológica relevante. A pesar de la sugerencia de que la preocupación con la "madera vieja" no forma parte de los protocolos higiénicos para el fechamiento de carbón, nosotros afirmamos que si es parte de algunos, incluyendo el de Nolan (2012).

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Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 2015

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References

References Cited

Cook, Robert A. 2007 Single Components of Sites with Long Sequences of Radiocarbon Dates: The Sun Watch Site and Middle Fort Ancient Village Growth. American Antiquity 72:439460.Google Scholar
Cook, Robert A., and Comstock, Aaron R. 2014 Evaluating the Old Wood Problem in a Temperate Climate: A Fort Ancient Case Study. American Antiquity 79:763775.Google Scholar
Krus, Tony, Cook, Robert A., and Hamilton, Derek 2015 Bayesian Chronological Modeling of SunWatch, Dayton, Ohio. Radiocarbon (in press).Google Scholar
Nolan, Kevin C. 2012 Temporal Hygiene: Problems in Cultural Chronology of the Late Prehistoric Period of the Middle Ohio River Valley. Southeastern Archaeology 31:185206.Google Scholar