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The use of coffins and jars as funerary receptacles was common across Southeast Asia. During the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries AD, cremation was the dominant mortuary tradition on the Angkorian plains, but in the Cardamom Mountains to the south, contemporaneous groups practised a unique burial tradition involving the deposition of un-cremated bone in exposed ceramic vessels and log coffins. The authors present the first geochemical analysis of individuals from this highland culture, specifically the site of Phnom Pel. The childhood diets of those interred in jars and coffins may have been sourced from different areas within the Cardamom Mountains, suggesting that the individuals came from discrete groups.

In mainland Southeast Asia, the so-called water frontier unified an otherwise geographically broad and culturally disparate economic network of long-, medium-, and short-distance trade of the 14th–17th century CE “Age of Commerce.” Focus on the rise of the larger port towns supporting this burgeoning maritime trade (e.g., Ayutthaya, Melaka, Hoi An) has overshadowed smaller maritime operations that must have serviced less regulated coastlines. In this paper, we evaluate the evidence of likely supply lines for relatively remote sites in the Southern Cardamom Ranges of southwestern Cambodia. We present the results of a geochemical analysis of ceramics from two contemporary and short-lived assemblages: comprehensively dated mid-15th c. to mid-17th c. CE burial complexes in the Cardamom Mountains, and a dated shipwreck (KohS’dech) recovered from waters off the adjacent coastline. We compare the shipwreck assemblage with other wreck assemblages to contextualize it within larger maritime exchange patterns. The KohS’dech wreck assemblage appears typical of a Southeast Asian short-haul coastal trader of this period, with a cargo consisting of a range of utilitarian household ceramics: large, medium, and small glazed stoneware storage jars, earthenware cooking pots, stoves and mortars, and “tableware” bowls. Comparison of burial, shipwreck, and reference ceramic compositional data confirms the jars and fine wares predominantly came from multiple production centers in Central and Northern Thailand. The few Angkorian jars identified in the burials were evidently heirlooms from what was, by the mid-15th c. CE, a likely defunct Khmer production complex east of Angkor. The results of this provenience analysis highlight (a) the Cardamom burials as an example of previously undocumented unregulated coastal interaction and (b) the relatively sophisticated and coordinated market-oriented strategies of inland ceramic producers at this time. For mainland Southeast Asia, the water frontier integrated not only ethnically diverse maritime port communities, but also those in more remote inland regions.

The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of south-west Spain, is presented in the context of debate about the nature of Copper Age society in southern Iberia as a whole. Many aspects of the layout, use, character and development of Valencina remain unclear, just as there are major unresolved questions about the kind of society represented there and in southern Iberia, from the late fourth to the late third millennia cal BC. This paper discusses 178 radiocarbon dates, from 17 excavated sectors within the 450ha site, making it the best dated in later Iberian prehistory as a whole. Dates are formally modelled in a Bayesian statistical framework. The bulk of samples were chosen from the varied mortuary contexts, from pits and artificial caves to megalithic tholos tombs, which constitute a major part of the archaeology of Copper Age Valencina. The resulting formal date estimates provide the basis for both a new epistemological approach to the site as well as a much more detailed narrative of its development than previously available. Beginning in the 32nd century cal BC, a long-lasting tradition of simple, mainly collective and often successive burial was established at the site. There is plenty of evidence for a wide range of other activity, but no clear sign of permanent, large-scale residence or public buildings or spaces. Probably by the 30th or 29th century cal BC, a new form of mortuary practice had emerged alongside older traditions, in the shape of the distinctive megalithic tholos tombs, some of which contained exotic and abundant goods accompanying the dead. Though the models lack precision, this phase of showy funerals and social display, perhaps aimed at establishing new forms of descent and social hierarchisation partly based on the manipulation of the past, may not have lasted much beyond the 28th century cal BC. It is possible that activity as a whole had declined before the middle of the third millennium cal BC, and around 2500 cal BC, dated sectors indicate further changes in mortuary practice, with possible single events, containing in one instance signs of defleshing (perhaps associated with violence); by this date, Bell Beaker pottery was present on the site. Major monuments, such as La Pastora and Matarrubilla were probably also late constructions. At least some of the ditches known at the site probably also belong late in the sequence. Overall, a pattern is indicated of initial establishment and consolidation of mortuary tradition, followed by the emergence of the more elaborate tholos architecture and the sometimes exotic contents. Funerary activity probably declined in intensity in the second quarter of the third millennium cal BC but was followed by a resurgence including the construction of the grand tholos of La Pastora in the generations around 2500 cal BC. This resurgence was relatively brief and the intensive funerary activity probably ended during the 24th century cal BC. Results in general support a model of increasingly competitive but ultimately unstable social relations.

Starting from questions about the nature of cultural diversity, this paper examines the pace and tempo of change and the relative importance of continuity and discontinuity. To unravel the cultural project of the past, we apply chronological modelling of radiocarbon dates within a Bayesian statistical framework, to interrogate the Neolithic cultural sequence in Lower Alsace, in the upper Rhine valley, in broad terms from the later sixth to the end of the fifth millennium cal BC. Detailed formal estimates are provided for the long succession of cultural groups, from the early Neolithic Linear Pottery culture (LBK) to the Bischheim Occidental du Rhin Supérieur (BORS) groups at the end of the Middle Neolithic, using seriation and typology of pottery as the starting point in modelling. The rate of ceramic change, as well as frequent shifts in the nature, location and density of settlements, are documented in detail, down to lifetime and generational timescales. This reveals a Neolithic world in Lower Alsace busy with comings and goings, tinkerings and adjustments, and relocations and realignments. A significant hiatus is identified between the end of the LBK and the start of the Hinkelstein group, in the early part of the fifth millennium cal BC. On the basis of modelling of existing dates for other parts of the Rhineland, this appears to be a wider phenomenon, and possible explanations are discussed; full reoccupation of the landscape is only seen in the Grossgartach phase. Radical shifts are also proposed at the end of the Middle Neolithic. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10816-016-9307-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Understanding the resilience of early societies to climate change is an essential part of exploring the environmental sensitivity of human populations. There is significant interest in the role of abrupt climate events as a driver of early Holocene human activity, but there are very few well-dated records directly compared with local climate archives. Here, we present evidence from the internationally important Mesolithic site of Star Carr showing occupation during the early Holocene, which is directly compared with a high-resolution palaeoclimate record from neighbouring lake beds. We show that—once established—there was intensive human activity at the site for several hundred years when the community was subject to multiple, severe, abrupt climate events that impacted air temperatures, the landscape and the ecosystem of the region. However, these results show that occupation and activity at the site persisted regardless of the environmental stresses experienced by this society. The Star Carr population displayed a high level of resilience to climate change, suggesting that postglacial populations were not necessarily held hostage to the flickering switch of climate change. Instead, we show that local, intrinsic changes in the wetland environment were more significant in determining human activity than the large-scale abrupt early Holocene climate events. A high-resolution local palaeoclimatic archive is correlated to the early Holocene human behavioural record at the British Mesolithic site of Star Carr. Despite environmental stresses at this time, intensive human activity persisted over centuries, suggesting resilience to climate change.

A total of 74 glass beads, included as grave goods in 15th–17th century CE jar burials from Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains, were analysed using laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS). Several glass types were identified, including two subtypes of high-alumina mineral soda glass, and lead–potash glass. The final glass type represents a newly discovered and previously unidentified type of high-alumina soda glass, with high magnesia (m-Na–Al Mg>). This study represents the first glass data from the mid-second millennium CE from Cambodia and sheds light on the multiple long-distance maritime exchange networks in which the upland people buried in the jars were participating.

The Cardamom Mountain Jar and Coffin burial site of Phnom Khnang Peung is the most extensive example of the distinctive burial ritual first reported by Beavan et al. (2012a). The 40 intact Mae Nam Noi and late Angkorian-era ceramic jars used as burial vessels held a total of up to 152 individuals, representing the largest corpus of skeletal remains of any of the 10 known Jar and Coffin burial sites that have been discovered in the eastern ranges of the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia. We report here on the radiocarbon dating of this site and notable burial phenomena, using a Bayesian approach to model the start and end date of activity as well as its overall span. The results of the dating and Bayesian analyses indicate that the Phnom Khnang Peung site's earliest burials begancal AD 1420–1440(95% probability). Interestingly, the concentration of burial activity spans only15–45 years(95% probability), despite the large number of inhumations at the site. The14C chronology presented for the site places the Highland burial ritual coincident with a period of economic, political, and societal transformations in the lowland Angkorian polity, but the unique burial practice and trade relationships evidenced by the burial goods and maritime trade ware ceramics employed in the burial ritual suggest these Highland people were a culture apart from Angkorian cultural influences.

Vorgestellt wird der Versuch einer präziseren Datierung des Erdwerks von Heilbronn-Klingenberg “Schlossberg” am mittleren Neckar. Die angewendete Methode empfiehlt sich als Ausgangspunkt für weitere Untersuchungen zur Datierung und Belegungsdauer anderer Michelsberger Erdwerke des späten 5. bis frühen 4. Jahrtausends calBC. Vom Erdwerk von Klingenberg wurden in den Jahren 1986–1987 zwei Abschnittsgräben ausgegraben, die einen Lößsporn abriegeln, Spuren einer Palisade innerhalb des inneren Grabens, in beiden Gräben Reste einer verbrannten Holzkonstruktion, zahlreiche Gruben innerhalb wie auch außerhalb der Gräben, und in diesen Befunden zahlreiche Deponierungen von Hunden. Wenige Spuren einer vor-grabenzeitlichen Belegung datieren nach MK II und MK III/IV, doch fanden die Aktivitäten am Platz hauptsächlich während MK V/Munzingen statt. Der chronologische Ansatz kombiniert die detaillierte archäologische Befundinformation mit 14C-Datierungen aus sorgfältig ausgewählten Proben – verwendet wurden ganz überwiegend verkohltes Getreide, und Tierknochen, die anpassend oder einem Teilskelett zuweisbar sind – mit dem statistischen Filter nach dem Satz von Th. Bayes.\ud \ud Für eine absolute Datierung der MK II Aktivitäten standen keine Proben zur Verfügung. Die Beprobung zweier MK III/IV Gruben legt deren Datierung in das 40.–39. Jh. cal BC nahe. Die Aktivitäten während MK V/Mz setzen dann ganz am Ende des 39. bzw. zu Beginn des 38. Jhs. cal BC ein. Entgegen der zuvor veröffentlichten Interpretation der Belegung des Platzes, ist anzunehmen, dass die Hauptaktivitäten erst mit der Anlage des Erdwerks begannen, beide Gräben dürften in zeitlich dichter Folge oder zeitgleich angelegt worden sein. Darauf folgte die Anlage von Gruben im Innenraum des Erdwerks, ab dem frühen 38. Jh. cal BC. Wohl nach wenigen Jahrzehnten wurden dann auch Gruben außerhalb des Grabensystems angelegt, in der Mitte des 38. Jhs. cal BC. Das Ende der Nutzung beider Gräben dürfte in die Mitte des 37. Jhs. cal BC fallen, sie wurden wohl zeitgleich aufgegeben, nach dem Brandereignis, das die sie begleitenden Konstruktionen zerstörte. Die Anlage von Gruben außerhalb der Gräben dürfte ab diesem Zeitpunkt geendet haben; im Innenraum könnten nach diesem Ereignis noch einige Gruben angelegt worden sein. Insgesamt ist mit MK V/Munzingen Aktivitäten über 120–150 Jahre zu rechnen. Alternative Modelle hierzu werden diskutiert.\ud \ud Erörtert werden lokale und überregionale Auswirkungen dieser Datierungsansätze, sowie Umstände, unter denen das Erdwerk wohl erbaut und dann wieder zerstört wurde, die Bedeutung für die Keramikchronologie der MK, und die allgemeine Entwicklung der Erdwerke der MK und anderer Regionen.\ud \ud Abstract\ud \ud This paper presents an attempt to establish more precise dating of the Michelsberg enclosure of Klingenberg-Schlossberg in the Neckar valley. The approach used is advocated as the basis on which to explore the timing and duration of other Michelsberg enclosures of the later fifth–earlier fourth millennium cal BC. Excavated extensively in 1986–1987, the Klingenberg enclosure has two ditches across a loess promontory, traces of a palisade inside the inner ditch, remains of burnt superstructure in both ditches, numerous pits both inside and outside, and numerous dog remains. There are some signs of pre-enclosure occupation in the MK II and III/IV phases, but the bulk of activity belongs to the MK V/Munzingen phase. A formal chronological approach combines the detailed archaeological information from the excavation with radiocarbon dates on carefully selected samples, here mainly charred cereals or articulated or articulating animal bones, in a Bayesian statistical framework.\ud \ud No samples were found to date MK II activity. Samples for two MK III/IV pits suggest a date in the 40th–39th centuries cal BC. MK V/Mz activity began at the very end of the 39th and the start of the 38th century cal BC. Unlike in the previously published interpretation of the sequence, this activity probably began with the construction of the enclosure, both ditches being dug either together or in very quick succession. This was followed by pits inside the enclosure, from the earlier 38th century cal BC. Probably after a few decades, pits began to be dug outside the enclosure, in the middle part of the 38th century cal BC. Both ditches probably went out of use in the mid-37th century cal BC, probably simultaneously, after the burning of the rampart between them, and the ending of the external pits could be of the same date; the internal pits might have continued a little longer. A duration of 120–150 years for MK V/Mz activity is estimated. Alternative models are considered.\ud \ud The local and wider implications of these formal date estimates are discussed, topics covered including the circumstances in which the enclosure may have been constructed and those in which it ended, the chronology of MK pottery, and the wider development of MK and other enclosures.

In 2007, based on direct radiocarbon dates, we presented evidence that chickens were introduced to Chile before Europeans first made contact with the New World. The pre-Columbian age of the chicken bones and their mtDNA affinities with one of two prehistoric Pacific chicken haplogroups (E) led us to conclude that Polynesia was the most likely origin for these pre-Columbian chickens. Subsequently, the mtDNA and radiocarbon evidence provided has been applied to a range of studies and occasionally reinterpreted. This has revealed issues related to the brevity of the initial report in 2007. Here, we provide a full discussion of the evidence, including the relevant archaeological, historical and biological information necessary to provide the context for interpreting genetic analyses and understanding their implications for addressing archaeological questions. We include a comprehensive analysis of the isotope data within a geographical and temporally relevant dataset to verify the pre-Columbian age of the El Arenal chickens. In addition, we provide longer DNA sequences obtained from some of the ancient Chilean chicken remains to address objections raised by critics and to demonstrate that longer sequences do not change the observed affinities of the mtDNA sequences, nor their interpretation. In this analysis, historical information is used to critically evaluate the results of phylogenetic analyses. This comprehensive approach demonstrates that the examination of modern chicken DNA sequences does not contribute to our understanding of the origins of Chile's earliest chickens. Interpretations based on poorly sourced and documented modern chicken populations, divorced from the archaeological and historical evidence, do not withstand scrutiny. Instead, this expanded account will confirm the pre- Columbian age of the El Arenal remains and lend support to our original hypothesis that their appearance in South America is most likely due to Polynesian contact with the Americas in prehistory. Keywords: chicken, Gallus gallus, Polynesian voyaging, pre-Columbian America, mtDNA, El Arenal-1. INTRODUCTION Examining the human-mediated dispersal of animals by documenting their introduction to new areas, broad geographical distributions, density in archaeological sites and DNA signatures allows archaeologists to build richer reconstructions of prehistoric activities and relationships (Matisoo-Smith 2007, 2009; Matisoo-Smith & Robins 2004). Known to archaeologists as a commensal model, this analytical technique may include the application of a phylogeographical approach to reconstruct the dispersal of plant and animal species outside of their natural range by humans (Matisoo-Smith 1996; Matisoo-Smith et al. 1998; Storey et al. 2013). In the Pacific, this analytical approach may be applied to any non-native organism that cannot disperse naturally but that co-occurs in island environments with evidence of human activity or settlement. The employment of a DNA-based commensal approach requires several steps to ensure that DNA sequence variation can provide reliable information for reconstructing aspects of prehistoric human behaviour. One must examine the characteristics of the organism under consideration, including its ability to self-disperse in specific environments. In addition, the association between humans and specific commensals must be established prior to a review of the genetic data, to identify suitable markers for determining relationships between populations. Any observed genetic links must be critically evaluated within the established archaeological and historical context of the samples (Storey et al. 2013). If the reconstruction of prehistoric behaviour is predicated on modern DNA data alone, an additional step is required. The context for interpreting the sequences and the relationships between them must include in-depth research in order to understand the dispersal of animals in the region of interest from their first appearance in the archaeological record to the day on which the modern samples were acquired. …

Keywords: Neolithic / tell / Vinča culture chronology / Vinča-Belo Brdo / Miloje Vasić / Bayesian chronological modelling / radiocarbon dating Schlagwörter: Neolithikum / Siedlungshügel / Vinča Chronologie / Vinča-Belo Brdo / Miloje Vasić / Bayesische Modellierung / Radiokarbondatierung Mots-clés: Néolithique / tell / chronologie de la culture de Vinča / Vinča-Belo Brdo / Miloje Vasić / modélisation bayésienne / datation au radiocarbone

The principal aim of this work is to investigate whether protein sources in human diets in early Anglo-Saxon (5th–7th century AD) England varied with geographic location, or with respect to age or sex. The methodology used was analysis of δ15N and δ13C in human bone collagen from 76 adult skeletons from a total of 18 different cemeteries located in inland, riverine and coastal environments. In order to control for the possible effects of socio-economic status on diet, only high status individuals, as identified by grave goods, were studied. Data were analysed using statistical manipulation of the raw results and using IsoSource ( Phillips and Gregg, 2003 ), a mathematical treatment which models the composition of the protein part of human diets using bone stable isotope ratios when the isotopic values for potential protein sources are known or can reasonably be inferred. The results suggest that protein sources varied little according to geographic location and that terrestrial foods dominated at all locations. However there were some subtle patterns. Slightly elevated δ13C in skeletons from coastal locations, and δ15N in those from riverine sites may indicate that communities in these locations made greater use of marine and freshwater resources respectively. If this is correct then it demonstrates that 5th–7th century communities made some use of wild resources even within a predominantly agrarian economy. In general the analysis of the raw data and the IsoSource results were mutually supportive, and this work demonstrates the value of this twin-pronged approach to analysis of human bone stable isotope data.

Intentional dental modification, in the form of ablation and filing, is reported for the first time from Cambodia in two late prehistoric sites (Phum Snay and Phum Sophy, c. 2500 to 1500 bp). Bioarchaeological research is relatively new for this region, and this study significantly adds to our reconstruction of past behaviours in mainland Southeast Asia. The skeletal samples combine both excavated material and large looted collections in the form of ossuaries. People from Phum Sophy and Phum Snay had similar rates of anterior maxillary dental ablation, 60 and 47%, respectively, and 21.4 and 7.7%, respectively, in the mandible. Patterns of ablation most commonly involve the removal of the maxillary lateral incisors. Intentional filing was less common than ablation but affected Phum Snay and Phum Sophy individuals to a similar level (4–7%). Filing was also restricted to the anterior dentition, and a range of patterns were evident, many involving filing of the mesial and distal aspects of the crown of the upper and lower incisors and canines to give a pointed appearance. Patterns of ablation or filing were not strongly associated with a particular sex or age group. However, a limited number of ablation and filing patterns were exclusive to each site. The significance of this practice in relation to rites of passage, status, community and family relationships, and trauma is discussed. It is also shown that the modifications show distinct differences in prevalence and pattern, particularly that of filing, to nearby temporal neighbours in southern Cambodia and northeast Thailand, suggesting a unique cultural behaviour for this region.

Between 4500 and 3500 years ago, partially intrusive Neolithic populations in the riverine basins of mainland Southeast Asia began to form mounded settlements and to develop economies based on rice cultivation, fishing, hunting, and the domestication of animals, especially pigs and dogs. A number of these sites have been excavated in recent years and they are often large mounds that can attain several meters in depth, comprising successive layers of alluvial soil brought in periodically to serve as living floors. The site of An Son is of this type and lies in a small valley immediately north of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. Excavated on five occasions since 1978, and most recently in 2009, it was occupied from the late third into the late second millennium b.c . An Son has produced evidence that attests the domestication of pigs and dogs in all layers apart (perhaps) from the most basal one, which was not investigated in 2009, together with the growing of rice of the subspecies Oryza sativa japonica , of Chinese Neolithic origin. The oldest pottery has simple incised and punctate zoned decoration with parallels in central Thailand, especially in the basal phases at Nong Nor and Khok Phanom Di. From its middle and later occupation phases (1800–1200 b.c .), An Son has produced a number of supine extended burials with finely decorated pottery grave goods that carry some unique forms, especially vessels with wavy or serrated rims. The An Son burials represent a Neolithic population that expressed a mixture of both indigenous Hoabinhian and more northerly (probably Neolithic southern Chinese) cranial and dental phenotypes, perhaps representing a likely ancestral population for some of the modern Austroasiatic-speaking populations of mainland Southeast Asia.

We investigated the utility of subfossil bat guano as a paleoenvironmental archive by comparing elemental ratios and δ13C, δ15N, and δD values of various simple extracts from bulk material. Solvent-extracted guano yielded consistent C:N and N:H ratios, and δ13C values of solvent-extracted guano exhibited strong covariation with δD values, as well as with the δ13C values of other simple extracts (bulk guano, bulk lipid). The results suggest that reliable records are easily recovered for δ13C, and also indicate that δ15N values may have utility as a paleoenvironmental archive. Despite coeval δ13C values of bulk guano and solvent-extracted guano, 14C ages of the different fractions did not always yield similar ages, indicating that future refinement of a suitable extraction protocol is required. Applying these protocols to an ancient bat guano deposit allowed us to infer that climate at the Grand Canyon during the late Pleistocene was more variable and generally cooler and wetter, relative to Holocene climate. We conclude that guano deposits are an underutilized, yet powerful continental paleoenvironmental archive of climate change for semi-arid and tropical regions.

This study investigates the relationship between diet and cultural change in late Iron Age and Romano-British populations from Dorset, England (1st century BC to the early 5th century AD). Dorset was the only region in Britain to exhibit continuity in inhumation burial rites through these periods and a wide array of environmental, archaeological and material culture evidence is available there. A sample of N = 77 human adult and N = 17 faunal rib samples were utilized for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis to test the hypothesis that Romanization of the diet would result in greater dietary variation. The results of this study indicate that the late Iron Age sample did not show any sex-related differences in diet and consumed a diet that was heavily reliant on terrestrial resources. In contrast, the Romano-British population exhibited enriched isotopic values, though the data did not indicate a widespread increase in the use of marine resources across all sex and age cohorts. Instead, the data suggest that it was females rather than males who had a small component of enriched 13C food in their diet.

Excavation of the Late Paleoindian Howard Gully site (34GR121) in southwestern Oklahoma revealed the remains of one to two bison in association with a shallow side-notched spear point. In some respects, this point style resembles San Patrice points found in the Eastern Woodlands. An analysis of the bison feature, associated lithic materials, and their context is presented in this paper. The Howard Gully site provides an important contribution towards furthering our knowledge of Late Paleoindian chronology and behavior and raises important questions about forager social interactions.

The end of the Pleistocene in North America was marked by a wave of extinctions of large mammals, with the last known appearances of many species falling between ca. 11,000–10,000 14C yr BP. Temporally, this period overlaps with the Clovis Paleoindian cultural complex (11,190–10,530 14C yr BP) and with sudden climatic changes that define the beginning of the Younger Dryas chronozone (ca. 11,000–10,000 14C yr BP), both of which have been considered as potential proximal causes of this extinction event. Radiocarbon dating of enamel and filtered bone collagen from an extinct American Mastodon (Mammut americanum) from northern Indiana, USA, by accelerator mass spectrometer yielded direct dates of 10,055 ± 40 14C yr BP and 10,032 ± 40 14C yr BP, indicating that the animal survived beyond the Clovis time period and into the late Younger Dryas. Although the late survival of this species in mid-continental North America does not remove either humans or climatic change as contributing causes for the late Pleistocene extinctions, neither Clovis hunters nor the climatic perturbations initiating the Younger Dryas chronozone were immediately responsible for driving mastodons to extinction.

Higham et al.'s (2005) recent article in Radiocarbon 47(3) concerning diet-induced anomalies on radiocarbon ages for various faunal samples from Shag River Mouth is a well-considered study, building upon methodologies and research questions examining the phenomena of dietary anomalies addressed by Beavan Athfield and coauthors (cf. Beavan-Athfield et al. 1999, 2001a; Beavan-Athfield and Sparks 2001a,b,c). However, exception must be taken with one comment appearing in Higham et al. (2005) that suggests to the reader that there is a problem with the laboratory practice associated with rat bone dates measured at the Rafter Radiocarbon Laboratory of GNS Science, New Zealand.

A consensus has not been reached on the validity of “old” (pre‐Polynesian settlement) 14C ages for Pacific rat bones from New Zealand. As an independent test of their validity, we have applied optical dating techniques to fossiliferous sediments at three non‐archaeological sites in the North and South Islands. In this paper, we report the optical ages obtained from quartz grains and compare them with a suite of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C ages obtained from the bone gelatin of Pacific rats (Rattus exulans) and five species of bird (four herbivores and one omnivore). An AMS 14C age is also reported for one sample of moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) eggshell. All dated fossil remains were collected from known stratigraphic positions. Additional chronological control is provided by two known‐age volcanic tephras at the Hukanui sites in the North Island. At the South Island site (Earthquakes #1), an infilled burrow provides independent age control, in that fossils inside the burrow should yie...

In their recent paper on ancient DNA from Pacific chickens, Thomson et al. (1) claim in their supporting information that there were “issues with previous radiocarbon dates” published by Storey et al. (2). Factual errors in Thomson et al.’s (1) discussion of the radiocarbon dating must be rectified. I demonstrate that there are no “issues” as claimed by the authors for the chicken bone dates for El Arenal, Chile, which produced reliable pre-Columbian dates at 2 SD, and indicate a pre-Columbian introduction of chickens to South America.

New Zealand moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) are the only late Quaternary megafauna whose extinction was clearly caused by humans. New Zealand offers the best opportunity to estimate the number of people involved in a megafaunal extinction event because, uniquely, both the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand and moa extinction are recent enough to be dated with a high degree of precision. In addition, the founding human population can be estimated from genetic evidence. Here we show that the Polynesian population of New Zealand would not have exceeded 2,000 individuals before extinction of moa populations in the habitable areas of the eastern South Island. During a brief (150 years) period and at population densities that never exceeded ~0.01 km(-2), Polynesians exterminated viable populations of moa by hunting and removal of habitat. High human population densities are not required in models of megafaunal extinction.

Radiocarbon ages of Rattus exulans bone recovered from the Pleasant River, Otago, archaeological site were originally rejected on the basis of 14C variability allegedly caused by laboratory processing Subsequent work revealed no burial contaminant that could have affected the results on bone protein as processed We present the analysis of bone from seven bird species at the Pleasant River site which showed that marshland fowl also had up to 300 yr radiocarbon variation in their ages but maintained terrestrial range δ13C and δ15N values The apparent dietary effect that offsets marshland fowl 14C ages at Pleasant River suggested there was a similar diet based cause for the anomalous radiocarbon ages for some R exulans at the site rather than a laboratory contamination or processing effect

Burial contamination can produce age anomalies in radiocarbon-d ated bone It is possible to test for the presence and effect of the in situ contamination — humic and fulvic acids, transferred in soil pore waters — for a specific site In this study, we examined the possibility that a previously unidentified and ineffectively removed burial contaminant affected radiocarbon ages from Rattus exulans bone at the Pleasant River archaeological site We found no evidence for such contamination and illustrated that testing in situ contamination effects should be considered before invoking same as a cause of radiocarbon anomalies in bone

We have isolated amino acid groups from modern bone hydrolysates and compared their relative Δ14C value to assess the carbon contribution of diet to the overall radiocarbon signal in bone. We find that both essential and non-essential amino acids may produce widely varying 14C, relative to other amino acid groups in the hydrolysate and to the original whole bone protein. We hypothesize that the 14C variations in non-essential amino acids may be due to metabolic effects that utilize essential amino acid carbon skeletons in the creation of non-essential amino acids.

We tested the reliability of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates on bone gelatin by dating samples whose maximum or minimum age was constrained by stratigraphic position relative to well‐dated volcanic tephra layers The tephra layers were not reworked, and were thick enough to preclude the possibility of redeposition resulting in specimens being found outside the age bounds set by the tephras The damp, fossiliferous, carbonate‐rich sediment was in a relatively constant, cool environment in a small cave at nearly 900 m altitude Bones from four species of bird with different diets (a pigeon, a rail, an owlet‐nightjar, and a large ratite) and one rodent, the Pacific rat Rattus exulans, were dated The calibrated (calendar) AMS age of each bone was compared to ages predicted from their stratigraphic position and calculated sedimentation rates, inferred from the age of each tephra layer Samples of moa (Aves Dinornithifonnes) eggshell were also dated by AMS, providing an independent dating mate...

A suite of 6 bone gelatin accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates for Rattus exulans Peale and associated beta decay 14C dates for Austrovenus stutchburyi shell are presented for 4 middens at Pauatahanui, Wellington, New Zealand. Mean calibrated age ranges of Rattus exulans (520–435 BP and 350–330 BP at 95% confidence level) and shell (465–375 BP at 95% confidence level) from the 4 midden sites overlap. The agreement between Rattus exulans bone gelatin dates and associated shell provides an inter-sample comparison of 14C dating using both gas counting (beta decay) and AMS dating techniques. We examine the adequacy of the standard gelatinization treatment for bone samples, which has been employed consistently at the laboratory since 1995.

An isotopic database for the Pacific/Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) and foods that it scavenges is used to examine diet-induced 14C age variation in omnivores. We discuss a suite of 26 δ14C determinations and 13C and 15N analysis for modern Pacific/Polynesian rat bone gelatin and available food items from Kapiti Island, New Zealand (40°51'S, 174°75'E). These analyses provide the first isotopic data for modern specimens of the species, collected as part of a larger project to determine potential sources of bias in unexpectedly old 14C age measurements on subfossil specimens of R. exulans from New Zealand. Stable C, N and 14C isotopic and trapping data are used to trace carbon intake via the diet of the rats in each habitat. Data from specimens linked to five specific habitats on the island indicate that modern populations of R. exulans are not in equilibrium with atmospheric values of δ14C, being either enriched or depleted relative to the atmospheric curve in 1996/97, the period of collection. The δ14C values recorded for R. exulans are associated with diet, and result from variation in δ14C values found in animal-protein food items available to a scavenging omnivore. The titer of carbon deviating from atmospheric values is believed to be derived from the essential amino acids in the protein-rich foods of the rat diet.Present evidence suggests that the depletion required to affect 14C ages limits the possibility that diet introduces dramatic offsets from true ages. Marine diets, for example, would have a variable effect on ages for terrestrial omnivores, contraindicating the application of a standard marine correction for such specimens. We suggest that to identify the extent to which diet may influence the 14C age in a given specimen of terrestrial omnivore, the separation and dating of essential amino acids vs. a nonessential amino, such as glycine, be applied.

Recently Gongora et al. (1) stated that their analyses of chicken mtDNA and potential offsets for dietary marine carbon cast doubt on “claims for pre-Columbian chickens” in the Americas. We present additional data supporting the interpretation of Storey et al. (2) showing that evidence for pre-Columbian chickens at the site of El Arenal, Chile, is secure.

Excavations were undertaken at the village (phum) of Sophy in Banteay Meanchey Province, north-west Cambodia over two field seasons in two separate areas in 2009 and 2010. The remains of twenty individuals were found in 14 mortuary contexts with individuals interred with a range of burial goods including ceramic vessels, stone and glass beads, iron and bronze artefacts and faunal remains. The site dates to the Iron Age (dates spanning the period c. 87-526 AD) and is surrounded by the ruins of later, Pre-Angkorian temples and their associated ponds. Excavation and research has revealed Sophy to be a prehistoric agricultural village in which the inhabitants exploited a wide-range of habitats and engaged in inter-regional exchange. The results of these investigations are presented here incorporating a description of the excavation, preliminary discussion of the material assemblage and demographic data obtained from the mortuary contexts.

We inferred climate change through the Pleistocene-Holocene transition from δ 13 C and δD values of bat guano deposited from 14.5 to 6.5 ka (calendar ka) in Bat Cave, Grand Canyon, Arizona. The δ 13 C and δD values generally covaried, indicating that regional late Pleistocene climate was relatively cool and wet, and early Holocene climate gradually became warmer with increased summer precipitation until ca. 9 ka, at which time the onset of modern North American Monsoon–like conditions occurred. During the Younger Dryas event, δ 13 C values decreased, whereas δD values increased, indicating a cool and possibly drier period. We also observed a distinct isotopic anomaly during the 8.2 ka event, at which time both δ 13 C and δD values decreased. The δ 13 C values abruptly increased at 8.0 ka, suggesting a rapid change in atmospheric circulation and greater infl uence from convective storms originating from the south. Deposits of bat guano represent a largely untapped source of paleoenvironmental information that can provide continuous and long-term continental archives of environmental change.

In this paper we present accelerator radiocarbon measurements on hand picked benthic and planktonic foraminifera separated from two deep sea cores raised from the South China Sea. From the benthic-planktonic age differences we are able to place limits on the extent to which the ventilation rate of the deep Pacific Ocean has changed over the last 12000 years. While much work remains to be done before any definitive answers for the global oceans can be given, these results on cores with sedimentation rates suitably high to avoid major corrections for bioturbation effects suggest that the ventilation rate of the deep Pacific Ocean has remained nearly the same throughout Holocene time. Further, there is no suggestion that the rate was slower during the period of major glacial retreat. These results confirm that the changes in atmospheric14C/C ratio over the last 10000 years owe their origin to radiocarbon production rate changes.

This paper presents the first bioarchaeological evidence of probable scurvy in Southeast Asia from a six-year-old child at the historic-era site of Phnom Khnang Peung (15–17th centuries A.D.) in the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia. Examination of skeletal material shows evidence consistent with scurvy – specifically, abnormal porosity on the greater wings of the sphenoid bone and hard palate, and vascular impressions on the ectocranial surface of the frontal bone and maxillary alveolar bone. In addition, this individual has evidence of cribra orbitalia indicative of anemia. Although a nutritionally linked etiology is the most common cause of scurvy, a number of other factors influencing ascorbic acid levels need to be considered in an environment with sufficient vitamin C potentially available in the diet. Assessing the environmental evidence, the possibility of a number of interrelated factors contributing to the development of scurvy in this individual seems the most plausible explanation. Factors affecting vitamin C levels may have included social aspects of food allocation or choice of food, genetic predisposition, anemia, pathogens, and nutrient malabsorption.

14C ages were determined on samples of foraminifera separated from cores from three areas of the tropical Pacific (East Pacific Rise, Oontong Java Plateau, and South China Sea). Analyses were made on four planktonic species and on mixed benthics. The purpose of the multiple analysis on planktonic species is to assess the importance of artifacts resulting from the bioturbation-abundance change couple, from the bioturbation-partial dissolution couple and from redeposition by bottom currents. The goal is to use the benthic-planktonic age difference as a means of establishing changes in deep sea ventilation rate over the past 25,000 years. Results of a part of this work are presented in this paper.

We present the first radiocarbon dates from previously unrecorded, secondary burials in the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia. The mortuary ritual incorporates nautical tradeware ceramic jars and log coffins fashioned from locally harvested trees as burial containers, which were set out on exposed rock ledges at 10 sites in the eastern Cardamom Massif. The suite of 28 14C ages from 4 of these sites (Khnorng Sroal, Phnom Pel, Damnak Samdech, and Khnang Tathan) provides the first estimation of the overall time depth of the practice. The most reliable calendar date ranges from the 4 sites reveals a highland burial ritual unrelated to lowland Khmer culture that was practiced from cal AD 1395 to 1650. The time period is concurrent with the 15th century decline of Angkor as the capital of the Khmer kingdom and its demise about AD 1432, and the subsequent shift of power to new Mekong trade ports such as Phnom Penh, Udong, and Lovek. We discuss the Cardamom ritual relative to known funerary rituals of the pre- to post-Angkorian periods, and to similar exposed jar and coffin burial rituals in Mainland and Island Southeast Asia.