Confirmation of a near 400 ka age for the Yabrudian industry at Tabun Cave, Israel

The important Lower and Middle Palaeolithic site of Tabun has been previously dated using ESR, U-series and TL. ESR ages throughout the site are substantially younger than TL dates, although these methods have been shown to agree at other sites in Israel and elsewhere. All previous ESR dates have been obtained on museum specimens using only attached sediments for dosimetry. Here we report the first ESR and U-series analyses of a tooth found in situ in an area equivalent to the lowest part of layer Ed. We obtain a combined ESR/U-series age of 387+49−36ka, in good agreement with a TL age of 340±33 ka for similar levels, and substantially older than an ESR/U-series age using attached or nearby sediment for dosimetry. We conclude that the most likely explanation for the previous shorter ESR chronology was the use of inappropriate gamma dose rates based on sediments attached to teeth.