Estimating age of rock cairns in southeast Alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating
We estimated ages of rock cairns in alpine tundra in southeast Alaska by combining information from three general classes of methods, each of them imperfect, but considered together providing better estimates than any of the three alone. We used lichenometry, radiocarbon dating, and five successiona...
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Canadian Science Publishing
2017
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0a47b198535e4aa4b9bbba792fc681b2 2023-05-15T14:23:41+02:00 Estimating age of rock cairns in southeast Alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating Bruce McCune Nijmah Ali Ralph J. Hartley William J. Hunt 2017-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0057 https://doaj.org/article/0a47b198535e4aa4b9bbba792fc681b2 EN FR eng fre Canadian Science Publishing https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0057 https://doaj.org/toc/2368-7460 doi:10.1139/as-2016-0057 2368-7460 https://doaj.org/article/0a47b198535e4aa4b9bbba792fc681b2 Arctic Science, Vol 3, Iss 4, Pp 698-715 (2017) alaskan native culture alpine bryophytes lichens plant succession vegetation Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0057 2022-12-31T09:01:55Z We estimated ages of rock cairns in alpine tundra in southeast Alaska by combining information from three general classes of methods, each of them imperfect, but considered together providing better estimates than any of the three alone. We used lichenometry, radiocarbon dating, and five successional metrics: score on a nonmetric multidimensional scaling axis of vegetation composition, cover-weighted average successional class of organisms, overgrowth of contact points between rocks, sum of species cover, and species richness. Lichenometry estimated absolute ages, but with considerable error because we violated key assumptions. Successional metrics provided relative ages, probably with more precision than lichenometry, but did not provide absolute ages. Although the relative age estimates from traditional lichenometry seemed least reliable, collectively they supported the hypothesis of prehistoric origins for the cairns with a range of possible absolute ages of 258–892 years. Similarly, radiocarbon dates for the cairns suggested cairn construction before European settlement, about 450–1500 years B.P. The five successional metrics were in general agreement with each other on relative ages. Combining all methods provided more information than any of the methods alone. We conclude that the cairns were built over a range of times, probably over centuries, most likely 500–1500 years B.P. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Tundra Alaska Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Cairn ENVELOPE(-57.083,-57.083,-63.500,-63.500) Arctic Science |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English French |
topic |
alaskan native culture alpine bryophytes lichens plant succession vegetation Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 |
spellingShingle |
alaskan native culture alpine bryophytes lichens plant succession vegetation Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 Bruce McCune Nijmah Ali Ralph J. Hartley William J. Hunt Estimating age of rock cairns in southeast Alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating |
topic_facet |
alaskan native culture alpine bryophytes lichens plant succession vegetation Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 |
description |
We estimated ages of rock cairns in alpine tundra in southeast Alaska by combining information from three general classes of methods, each of them imperfect, but considered together providing better estimates than any of the three alone. We used lichenometry, radiocarbon dating, and five successional metrics: score on a nonmetric multidimensional scaling axis of vegetation composition, cover-weighted average successional class of organisms, overgrowth of contact points between rocks, sum of species cover, and species richness. Lichenometry estimated absolute ages, but with considerable error because we violated key assumptions. Successional metrics provided relative ages, probably with more precision than lichenometry, but did not provide absolute ages. Although the relative age estimates from traditional lichenometry seemed least reliable, collectively they supported the hypothesis of prehistoric origins for the cairns with a range of possible absolute ages of 258–892 years. Similarly, radiocarbon dates for the cairns suggested cairn construction before European settlement, about 450–1500 years B.P. The five successional metrics were in general agreement with each other on relative ages. Combining all methods provided more information than any of the methods alone. We conclude that the cairns were built over a range of times, probably over centuries, most likely 500–1500 years B.P. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bruce McCune Nijmah Ali Ralph J. Hartley William J. Hunt |
author_facet |
Bruce McCune Nijmah Ali Ralph J. Hartley William J. Hunt |
author_sort |
Bruce McCune |
title |
Estimating age of rock cairns in southeast Alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating |
title_short |
Estimating age of rock cairns in southeast Alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating |
title_full |
Estimating age of rock cairns in southeast Alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating |
title_fullStr |
Estimating age of rock cairns in southeast Alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating |
title_full_unstemmed |
Estimating age of rock cairns in southeast Alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating |
title_sort |
estimating age of rock cairns in southeast alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0057 https://doaj.org/article/0a47b198535e4aa4b9bbba792fc681b2 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-57.083,-57.083,-63.500,-63.500) |
geographic |
Cairn |
geographic_facet |
Cairn |
genre |
Arctic Tundra Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Tundra Alaska |
op_source |
Arctic Science, Vol 3, Iss 4, Pp 698-715 (2017) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0057 https://doaj.org/toc/2368-7460 doi:10.1139/as-2016-0057 2368-7460 https://doaj.org/article/0a47b198535e4aa4b9bbba792fc681b2 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0057 |
container_title |
Arctic Science |
_version_ |
1766296174599340032 |