Coupled electron spin resonance (ESR)/uranium-series dating of mammalian tooth enamel at Panxian Dadong, Guizhou Province, China

Abstract

Panxian Dadong (Guizhou province, southwestern China) is an archaeological cave site within an elaborate multi-genesis karst system that contains three stacked caves. Collaborative Sino-American archaeological excavation and multi-disciplinary studies have been in progress since 1996. An Ailuropoda–Stegodon faunal assemblage along with lithics and human teeth has been recovered from the deeply stratified deposits. The represented taxa are generally indicative of a Middle Pleistocene biostratigraphic age. Fifteen mammalian fossil teeth were collected during the 1998–2000 excavations. The enamel was dated by conventional ESR and coupled ESR/U-series dating techniques. The ESR early uptake (EU) and linear uptake (LU) model ages range from 120–300 ka. Uranium–thorium results from four dentine samples depict a variety of uptake histories the samples have undergone throughout the entire 6-m depth of the excavation units. The coupled ages suggest that samples at Panxian Dadong demonstrate linear uptake model behavior and indicate the true burial ages for the tooth samples. The upper and lower unit has mean LU ESR ages of 156±17 ka and 258±47 ka, respectively.