Chapter 8 Chronology Building: How to Get a Date

Outline Relative Dating Absolute Dating What Do Dates Mean? The Check, Please Dating in Historical Archaeology

Dating Absolute dates are expressed as specific units of scientific measurement —days, years, centuries, or millennia. Relative dates express relationships or comparisons: –Stepped pyramid at Saqqara in Egypt is earlier than Khufu’s pyramid –Historic settlement of Williamsburg is later than the pueblos of Chaco Canyon.

Keys to Relative Dating 1.The law of superposition. 2.The index fossil concept.

Index Fossil Concept The idea that strata containing similar fossil assemblages are of similar age. This concept enables archaeologists to characterize and date strata within sites using distinctive artifact forms that research shows to be diagnostic of a particular period of time.

Potsherd Frequencies from Pueblo San Cristobal, New Mexico Depth Corrugated ware Biscuit ware Type IType IIType IIITotal 1st foot 57(36.7)10 (6.5)2 (1.3) 81 (52.2) 5 (3.2) 155 2nd foot 116(31.3)17 (4.6)2 (.01) 230 (62) 6 (1.6) 371 3rd foot 27 (15.3)2 (1.1) 10 (5.7) 134 (76.1) 3 (1.7)176 4th foot 28 (21.3)4 (3)6 (4.5) 93 (70.9) 0 (0)131

Potsherd Frequencies from Pueblo San Cristobal, New Mexico Depth Corrugated ware Biscuit ware Type IType IIType IIITotal 5th foot 60 (17.3)15 (4.3)2 (.01) 268 (77.6) 0 (0) 345 6th foot 75 (18.6)21 (5.2)8 (1.9) 297 (73.8) 1(.01)402 7th foot 53 (23.1)10 (4.3) 40 (17.5) 126 (55)0 (0)229

Potsherd Frequencies from Pueblo San Cristobal, New Mexico Depth Corrugated ware Biscuit ware Type IType IIType IIITotal 8th foot 56 (24.6)2 (.01) 118 (51.9) 51 (22.4)0 (0)227 9th foot 93 (45.4)1 (.01) 107 (52.5) 3 (1.4)0 (0)204 10th foot 84 (54.4)1 (.01) 69 (44.8) 0 (0) 154 Total , ,39 4

Seriation Diagram: Nelson’s San Cristobal Potsherd Frequencies.

Seriation A relative dating method. Orders artifacts based on the assumption that one cultural style slowly replaces an earlier style over time. With a master seriation diagram, sites can be dated based on their frequency of several artifact styles.

Seriation Diagram: Illumination in Pennsylvania

Methodology of Tree-Ring Dating Archaeologist digs up a sample of charcoal or wood with at least 20 rings. The sample is sent to the appropriate lab with contextual data. An analyst will cut or sand the sample down so the rings are easily visible, and the widths are then measured individually. The lab analyst tries to match the sample to the appropriate portion of the regional sequence.

Tree-ring Chronology

Radiocarbon Dating: How It Works There are three principal isotopes of carbon—12C, 13C, and 14C. Only one 14C atom exists for every trillion atoms of 12C in living material. 14C is produced in the upper atmosphere, where cosmic radiation creates neutrons that replace one of nitrogen’s protons (14N) to create 14C.

Radiocarbon Dating: How It Works 14C oxidizes and forms carbon dioxide, which is dispersed throughout the atmosphere by stratospheric winds. About 98% of all 14C enters the oceans; plants take up the rest through photosynthesis. From plants, it enters herbivores, and then carnivores. All organic life contains radioactive carbon.

Radiocarbon Dating: How It Works As long as an organism is alive, the amount of 14C in it remains in equilibrium with the atmosphere. Once the organism dies, the amount of 14C in its body begins to decrease. After 5730 years, Cambridge half-life, half of the 14C available in a sample will have converted to 14N. Radiocarbon dating is good for organic remains no more than 45,000 years old.

Radiocarbon Dating: How It Works Example: A sample contains 100 atoms of 14C. After 5730 years, 50 of these atoms have decayed into 14N. After another 5730 years, half of the remaining 50 14C atoms have converted to 14N, leaving only 25 14C atoms. After another 5730 years this would be halved again to about 12 14C atoms.

Radiocarbon Dating: Problems Photosynthetic pathways –The chemical process through which plants metabolize carbon. –The three pathways discriminate against carbon-13 differently so that similarly aged plants using different pathways may produce different radiocarbon ages.

Radiocarbon Dating: Problems Reservoir effect –When organisms take in carbon from a source that is depleted of or enriched in 14C relative to the atmosphere. –Such samples may return ages that are considerably older or younger than they actually are.

Radiocarbon Dating: Problems De Vries effects –Fluctuations in the calibration curve produced by variations in the atmosphere’s carbon-14 content. –Causes radiocarbon dates to calibrate to more than one calendar age.

Recommended Sample Sizes for Radiocarbon and AMS Dating Conventional (Grams) Ams (Milligrams) Charcoal10–3020–50 Wood15–10020–100 Dung10–3020–100 Peat10–3030–100 Seedsn/a20–50

Recommended Sample Sizes for Radiocarbon and AMS Dating Conventional (Grams) Ams (Milligrams) Organic sediments 200–20002–10 grams Bone/antler2002–10 grams Shell20–10050–100 Pollenn/a15 Watern/a1 liter

Calibration curve

Trapped Charge Dating

Trapped Charge Dating Techniques Thermoluminescence –Used on anything mineral heated to more than 500° C. (ceramics, burnt stone artifacts) Optically stimulated luminescence –Used to date sediments. The age is the time elapsed between the last time a few moments exposure to sunlight reset the clock to zero and the present. Electron spin resonance –Can be used to date teeth that are beyond the range of radiocarbon dating.

Dosimeter A device to measure the amount of gamma radiation emitted by sediments. It is normally buried in a stratum for a year to record the annual dose of radiation. Dosimeters are often a short length of pure copper tubing filled with calcium sulfate.

Techniques For Dating the Formation of a Layer of Rock Potassium-argon dating –Monitors the decay of potassium (K-40) into argon gas (Ar-40). Argon-argon dating – A high-precision method for estimating the relative quantities of argon-39 to argon-40 gas. –Used to date volcanic ashes between 500,000 and several million years.

Summary of Absolute Dating Methods TechniqueTarget materialAccuracy Carbon-14 Any organic material; carbon is the most common. To 45,000 BP Thermo- luminescence Ceramics, burnt stone Perhaps back to 300,000 years OSL Quartz, feldspars in eolian sands Perhaps back to 300,000 years

Summary of Absolute Dating Methods TechniqueTarget materialAccuracy Electronic spin resonance Tooth enamel, burned stone tools, corals, shells 10,000 to 300,000 or more years Potassium- argon Volcanic ash 200,000 to several million years Argon-argonVolcanic ash 200,000 to several million years

Old Wood Problem A potential problem with radiocarbon (tree-ring) dating in which old wood has been scavenged and re-used in a later archaeological site. The resulting date is not a true age of the associated activity.

Mean Ceramic Date Statistical technique for combining the median age of manufacture for temporally significant pottery types to estimate the age of a feature or site. Based on Noël Hume’s A Guide to Artifacts in Colonial America, the model includes selected ceramic types defined by attributes of form, decoration, surface finish, and hardness.

Quick Quiz

1. ________ dates are expressed as specific units of scientific measurement —days, years, centuries, or millennia, _______ dates express relationships or comparisons.

Answer: absolute, relative Absolute dates are expressed as specific units of scientific measurement —days, years, centuries, or millennia, relative dates express relationships or comparisons.

2. The ___ _____ _____ enables archaeologists to characterize and date strata within sites using distinctive artifact forms that research shows to be diagnostic of a particular period of time.

Answer: Index Fossil Concept The Index Fossil Concept enables archaeologists to characterize and date strata within sites using distinctive artifact forms that research shows to be diagnostic of a particular period of time.

3. Problems associated with radiocarbon dating include: A. The chemical process through which plants metabolize carbon B. The Reservoir effect C. The De Vries effects D. B and C only E. A, B, and C.

Answer: E 3. Problems associated with radiocarbon dating include the chemical process through which plants metabolize carbon, the Reservoir effect and the De Vries effects.

4. Electron spin resonance can be used to date teeth that are beyond the range of radiocarbon dating. A. True B. False

Answer: A. True Electron spin resonance can be used to date teeth that are beyond the range of radiocarbon dating.

5. With Trapped Charge Dating, sites can be dated based on their frequency of several artifact styles. A. True B. False

Answer: B.False With a master seriation diagram, sites can be dated based on their frequency of several artifact styles.