Dating of the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in western Europe using ultrafiltration AMS radiocarbon

使用超滤 AMS 放射性碳测定西欧中上旧石器时代过渡

• 批准号: NE/D014077/1
• 负责人: Thomas Higham
• 金额: $ 33.84万
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2006 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FD014077%2F1
• 关键词: Dating; Middle; Upper; Palaeolithic; transition

Radiocarbon dating (14C) is of fundamental importance to the study of human cultural and biological developments during the last 50000 years. This is the period during which the earliest anatomically modern humans (AMH) dispersed into Europe and, over a similar time, Neanderthal populations contracted and finally became extinct. The European archaeological record is the most extensive record for documenting the disappearance of one species of human and its replacement by another. Problems arise, however, in the reliable dating of these processes. The effective application of radiocarbon dating has been problematic in many instances. There is a large database of radiocarbon data (1500+), but determining which are accurate, and which not, is extremely difficult. Recent developments in AMS radiocarbon dating of bone have heralded a significant breakthrough in this situation. Work undertaken in Oxford over the past four years, involving the application of a technique called 'ultrafiltration' has yielded extremely promising results which are set to revolutionise the field. The method significantly improves the pre-treatment of archaeological bones prior to radiocarbon dating using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Results obtained thus far from samples derived from the British Middle and Upper Palaeolithic demonstrate that, in many cases, 14C ages previously measured on the same material using less rigorous pre-cleaning methods, are inaccurate. This varies between a few hundred, to several thousands of years in error. A wide range of analytical data supports the reliability of these new ages. In addition, the results seem to make much better archaeological sense than previously: patterns are emerging. This work has had a dramatic impact upon the study of the Palaeolithic in the British Isles. There is an urgent need to apply this development to the wider sphere of the European Palaeolithic, where so many crucial archaeological debates hinge upon a reliable chronology. The question of the dates of Neanderthal extinction, the process by which anatomically modern humans (AMH) replaced them, and the age of the earliest sites containing evidence for Aurignacian industries, thought by many to be made by incoming modern humans, are three such problems. We aim to contribute to the resolution of many problems associated with the proper analysis of the cultural transformations of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, by dating samples of bone from 27 key Palaeolithic sites in continental Europe. We will date 300 well-contexted and carefully selected bones, including human bone, cutmarked bone and diagnostic tools and ornaments. The sites come from Germany, Spain, France and Britain, and include many of the most crucial sites at the centre of debates in Palaeolithic archaeology. The development of reliable archaeological chronologies will contribute to the resolution of many intractable problems plaguing the Palaeolithic of Europe.

放射性碳测年(14C)对于研究过去50000年来人类的文化和生物发展具有重要意义。这是最早的解剖学上的现代人(AMH)扩散到欧洲的时期，在类似的时间里，尼安德特人的种群收缩并最终灭绝。欧洲考古记录是记录人类一种物种消失并被另一种物种取代的最广泛的记录。然而，在对这些过程进行可靠的年代测定方面出现了一些问题。放射性碳测年的有效应用在许多情况下都是有问题的。有一个庞大的放射性碳数据数据库(1500+)，但要确定哪些是准确的，哪些是不准确的，是极其困难的。AMS放射性碳测年技术的最新进展预示着这一领域的重大突破。在过去的四年里，牛津大学开展了一项名为“超滤”的技术的应用，并取得了非常有希望的成果，这将给这一领域带来革命性的变化。该方法显著改善了考古骨骼在使用加速器质谱仪(AMS)进行放射性碳测年之前的前处理。到目前为止，从英国旧石器时代中期和晚期获得的样品的结果表明，在许多情况下，以前使用不太严格的预清洗方法对同一材料进行14C年龄测量是不准确的。误差从几百年到几千年不等。广泛的分析数据支持这些新时代的可靠性。此外，这些结果似乎比以前的考古意义要好得多：模式正在出现。这部作品对不列颠群岛旧石器时代的研究产生了巨大的影响。迫切需要将这一发展应用于欧洲旧石器时代更广泛的领域，在那里，如此多关键的考古学辩论取决于可靠的年代学。尼安德特人灭绝的日期，解剖学上的现代人(AMH)取代他们的过程，以及包含奥里尼诺工业证据的最早遗址的年代，许多人认为是由新来的现代人创造的，就是三个这样的问题。我们的目标是通过对欧洲大陆27个关键旧石器时代遗址的骨骼样本进行年代测定，帮助解决与正确分析中旧石器时代到旧石器时代晚期的文化转型相关的许多问题。我们将对300块经过精心挑选的骨骼进行年代测定，包括人类骨骼、切割过的骨骼以及诊断工具和装饰品。这些遗址来自德国、西班牙、法国和英国，其中包括许多处于旧石器时代考古争论中心的最关键的遗址。可靠的考古年代学的发展将有助于解决困扰欧洲旧石器时代的许多棘手问题。

项目成果

Challenges in sample processing within radiocarbon dating and their impact in 14C-dates-as-data studies

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2019.105043
• 发表时间: 2020-01-01
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
• 影响因子: 2.8
• 作者: Becerra-Valdivia, Lorena;Leal-Cervantes, Rodrigo;Higham, Thomas
• 通讯作者: Higham, Thomas

Chronology of the site of Grotte du Renne, Arcy-sur-Cure, France implications for Neanderthal symbolic behaviour

法国屈尔河畔阿西雷恩石窟遗址的年表对尼安德特人象征行为的影响

• DOI: 10.3828/bfarm.2011.2.1
• 发表时间: 2011
• 期刊: Before Farming
• 作者: Higham T