New chronology evidence of prehistoric human activities indicated by pottery luminescence dating in the humid subtropical mountains of South China

Bibliographic Data

ID11899080
AuthorsJunjie Wei (0000-0002-9507-2925, corresponding author), Jianhui Jin (0000-0002-1924-4609), Lin Fu (0009-0009-4250-8738), Xinxin Zuo (0000-0002-1693-0275), Junjie Qiu (0000-0001-8374-3181), Chenyang Hou (0009-0009-3503-591X), Daiyu Xu
Year2024
Volume171
Pages106072-106072
Publication date2024-09-07
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Archaeological Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0305-4403 • E-ISSN: 1095-9238
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.jas.2024.106072
OpenAlexW4402326938
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited42

The age of prehistoric human sites serves as a fundamental basis for studying the relationship between human activities and landscape changes in the humid subtropical mountains of South China. The presence of pottery in these archaeological sites is widespread and offers a valuable resource for precise dating purposes. The Longtoushan (LTS) site, located in the northern mountains of Fujian Province, contains a rich variety of pottery types from various periods, representing a rare multi-period stratigraphic overlap in this area and playing a crucial role in constructing the cultural sequence and lineage of prehistoric and ancient times in this region. In this study, we employed thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) techniques to establish the age of pottery samples collected from the LTS site situated in the upper Minjiang River region of southeast China for the first time, while also comparing our findings with other dating methods to construct a chronological framework for the site. The results showed that: (1) The samples analyzed in this study can be classified according to the peak strength of 325 °C TL signal at natural and regenerative doses of quartz. Samples with weak TL signal at 325 °C (type II samples) showed high recuperation and equivalent dose underestimation at a low preheat temperature (220 °C) in OSL test. (2) Conventional SAR procedures employed for type I samples are not suitable for type II samples. Type II samples require additional OSL stimulation towards the end of the cycle and an extended stimulation duration. (3) The application of various dating methods has revealed that the LTS site represents a long-term settlement in the humid subtropical mountains of South China, commencing around 4.6–4.4 thousand years ago (ka). Specifically, the dating of pottery pieces from kiln sites and tombs in the late Neolithic period provides a specific temporal reference for further understanding of prehistoric human culture and production behavior in the humid mountains of Fujian. • The effect of different charge trap composition of heated quartz on luminescence signal and ages. • The proper preheat temperature in the OSL test depends on the strength of the 325° C TL peak of heated quartz. • The Longtoushan site in Fujian Province was occupied by humans 4.6-4.4ka ago. • Ages of pottery provide an accurate chronology for understanding ancient human behavior of northern Fujian

Archaeology · Biology · China · Chronology · Geography · Pottery · Prehistory · Southern china · Subtropics · Thermoluminescence dating · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Ecology · Geology

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