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Modeling Freshwater Reservoir Offsets on Radiocarbon-Dated Charred Cooking Residues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

John P. Hart ,
William A. Lovis ,
Gerald R. Urquhart  and
Eleanora A. Reber
John P. Hart
Affiliation:
Research and Collections Division, 3140 Cultural Education Center, New York State Museum, Albany, NY 12230 (jph_nysm@mail.nysed.gov)
William A. Lovis
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and MSU Museum, 355 Baker Hall, 655 Auditorium Road, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (lovis@msu.edu)
Gerald R. Urquhart
Affiliation:
Lyman Briggs College, 35 E. Holmes Hall and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 13 Natural Resources Building, 919 E. Shaw Lane, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (urquhart@msu.edu)
Eleanora A. Reber
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403 (rebere@uncw.edu)
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Abstract

Obtaining radiocarbon assays on objects of chronological interest is always preferable to obtaining assays on spatially associated charcoal. The development of Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) dating has expanded the number of objects that can be directly assayed because it requires only a few milligrams of material. Pottery can be directly assayed when charred cooking residues adhering to the interior walls are present. The accuracy of AMS ages derived from residues has been questioned in cases where cooking freshwater aquatic organisms may have introduced carbon from ancient carbon reservoirs into residues. Here we provide analytic protocols for examination of this phenomenon and the results of systematic modeling of age estimates on residues formed from fish and maize with varying percentages of dead carbon. We present a regional case study using a large series of AMS age estimates on residues from the Finger Lakes region of northeastern United States to demonstrate how the paleolimnological record and lipid analysis of residues can help to determine if dates on residues from a given region are likely to have been affected by the presence of ancient carbon. In the case of the Finger Lakes, there is no evidence that ancient carbon affected the age estimates.

Resumen

Resumen

Obtener análisis por radiocarbono en objetos de interés cronológico es preferible que obtener análisis de carbono asociado con el espacio. El desarrollo de la datación por medio del Acelerador Espectrómetro de Masa (AMS) ha expandido el número de objetos que pueden ser analizados directamente, dado que éste requiere solamente algunos miligramos de material. Cuando están presentes, los residuos del carbono cocinado, adheridos a las capas interiores de la cerámica, permiten el análisis directo de la cerámica. Esta se ha convertido en una práctica común en todo el mundo. La exactitud de la datación por medio del Acelerador Espectrómetro de Masa derivada de los residuos ha sido cuestionada en casos donde organismos acuáticos de agua dulce, al ser cocinados, pueden haber introducido carbono de viejos depósitos de carbono dentro de los residuos. Aquí proveemos protocolos analíticos para el análisis de este fenómeno y los resultados de modelos sistemáticos de análisis en residuos formados por peces y maíz con varios porcentajes de carbono antiguo. Presentamos un estudio regional que usa una larga serie de cálculos de edades de Aceleración de Espectrometría de Masa en residuos extraídos de Finger Lakes, ubicados en la región noreste de Los Estados Unidos, para demostrar cómo el registro paleolimnológico y el análisis lipido de residuos pueden ayudar a determinar si las fechas de los residuos provenientes de alguna región hayan sido afectadas por la presencia de carbono antiguo. En el caso de la región Finger Lakes, no hay evidencia de que el carbono antiguo haya afectado el cálculo de edades.

Type
Articles
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 78 , Issue 3 , July 2013 , pp. 536 - 552
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by the Society for American Archaeology.

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