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The impact of Bayesian chronologies on the British Iron Age

Bibliographic Data

ID3918877
AuthorsDerek Hamilton (0000-0003-4019-3823, University of Glasgow), William Derek Hamilton, Colin Haselgrove (University of Leicester), C Gosden (0000-0001-8761-9540, University of Oxford)
Year2015
Volume47
Issue4
Pages642-660
Publication date2015-08-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWorld Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0043-8243 • E-ISSN: 1470-1375
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00438243.2015.1053976
OpenAlexW1616934657
LanguageEN
Citations received51
References cited24

Radiocarbon dating was long neglected in Iron Age research, with dates on the ‘Hallstatt plateau’ (800–400 BC) considered too broad to be useful compared to artefact typo-chronologies. Such views are now untenable. Around fifty British Iron Age settlements and cemeteries have been dated using Bayesian methodologies, yielding two important general results: (1) typological dating produces sequences that are regularly too late; and (2) many phenomena, from chariot burials to settlement shifts, represent brief horizons, rather than being long lived. Drawing on a selection of studies, this article explores the impact of Bayesian modelling on British Iron Age studies. It highlights potential pitfalls and issues that must be considered when dating the period, illustrates some major successes and looks to the future

Bayesian probability · Econometrics · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Environmental Science · Geology · Mathematics

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Unique citing works51
Citations per year5,1
Citation span2016 - 2026 (11)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 47
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