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Radiocarbon Dating, Stable Isotope Analysis, and Diet-Derived Offsets in 14 C Ages from the Klin-Yar Site, Russian North Caucasus

Bibliographic Data

ID9243741
AuthorsThomas Higham, Rebecca Warren (0000-0002-2946-2650), Andrej Belinskij, Heinrich Härke (0000-0002-2226-618X), Rachel Wood (0000-0002-1694-3295)
Year2010
Volume52
Issue2
Pages653-670
Publication date2010-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRadiocarbon (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-8222 • E-ISSN: 1945-5755
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0033822200045689
OpenAlexW2213563072
LanguageEN
Citations received28
References cited38

The influence of geothermally derived carbon on the radiocarbon dating of human bone from archaeological sites is poorly understood and has rarely been rigorously examined. This study identifies a previously unknown reservoir effect at the archaeological site of Klin-Yar in the Russian North Caucasus. AMS-dated human bones yielded results that were older than expected when compared with dates of coins found in the same grave contexts. We investigated the reasons for this offset by AMS dating modern plant, fish, and water samples to examine the source of the old carbon. We identified a potential source in geothermally derived riverine and spring water, with an apparent age of several thousand years, and hypothesize that carbon from here is being transferred through the food chain to humans. If humans consume resources from the local rivers, such as fish, then they ought to be affected by this reservoir offset. An extensive analysis of carbon and nitrogen isotopes of human and animal bone showed evidence for a mixed diet that may be masking the amount of freshwater-derived protein being consumed. Due to the highly variable nature of the 14 C offset (0 to ∼350 yr), no suitable average correction factor is applicable to correct for the human dates at the site. A 14 C chronology based on dates obtained from terrestrial ungulate bones, which we subsequently obtained, is instead a more reliable indicator of age

Accelerator mass spectrometry · Archaeology · Biology · Chronology · Fish · Fish bone · Geography · Human bone · Isotope · Isotope analysis · Isotopes of carbon · Isotopes of nitrogen · Physical geography · Radiocarbon dating · Radiometric dating · Stable isotope ratio · Total organic carbon · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Chemistry · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Ecology · Geology · Oceanography · Paleontology

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Unique citing works28
Citations per year1,75
Citation span2010 - 2026 (17)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 28
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