Dealing with reservoir effects in human and faunal skeletal remains
Radiocarbon reservoir effects are phenomena affecting radiocarbon dating. Because 14C/12C ratios of marine, and freshwater systems, can be lower than the terrestrial atmosphere and biosphere, organisms from aquatic systems appear older than contemporaneous terrestrial samples. When radiocarbon datin...
| Summary: | Radiocarbon reservoir effects are phenomena affecting radiocarbon dating. Because 14C/12C ratios of marine, and freshwater systems, can be lower than the terrestrial atmosphere and biosphere, organisms from aquatic systems appear older than contemporaneous terrestrial samples. When radiocarbon dating material from archaeological sites with marine activity, this is an important consideration. For accurate radiocarbon dating of aquatic material, reservoir effects must be properly understood. This thesis will demonstrate how radiocarbon reservoir effects can be best mitigated. Researchers can deal with reservoir effects through careful sample selection, measuring and defining reservoir effects, as well as reducing reservoir effect related to dating uncertainty through the use of Bayesian modelling. In this thesis, novel and existing methods of dealing with reservoir effects will be demonstrated by considering five case studies from four archaeological sites. At the site of Hamanaka II (Rebun Island, Japan), it is demonstrated that by carefully selecting samples without reservoir effects, the dating of the stratigraphy of the site can be accurately modelled. Concerning the cemetery site of Rounala (northern, Sweden), it is demonstrated that by carefully reconstructing complex human diets, the dating of humans can be modelled to a high resolution. This has implications for the understanding of the church’s relationship with the cemetery. At the site of Ekven (Chukotka, Bering Strait) reservoir effect variability is carefully described so the culture chronologies of marine hunters can be more accurately built. Finally, concerning the material from Resmo (Ӧland, Sweden), a novel dental wiggle matching model will be presented as a possible method for reducing dating uncertainty in individuals with a marine dietary component. This thesis makes it clear that there is no single method of handling reservoir effects and methods for dealing with reservoir effects will differ depending on the archaeological site and specific ... |
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