Abstract
ABSTRACTReversals and plateaus in the radiocarbon (14C) calibration curve lead to similar 14C ages applying to a wide range of calendar dates, creating imprecision, ambiguity, and challenges for archaeological dating. Even with Bayesian chronological modeling, such periods remain a problem when no known order—e.g., a stratigraphic sequence—exists, and especially if site durations are relatively short. Using the reversal/plateau AD 1480–1630 and the archaeology of northeastern North America as our example, we consider possible strategies to improve chronological resolution across such reversal/plateau periods in the absence of stratigraphic sequences, including uses of wood-charcoal TPQs from even very short wiggle-matches, and site phase duration constraints based on ethnohistoric and archaeological evidence.
Highlights
Reversals and plateaus in the radiocarbon (14C) calibration curve are a recognized challenge for archaeological dating (Taylor et al 1996: 661–662)
AD 1480–1630 is another conspicuous instance. This latter case has long been held to render radiocarbon dating unable to contribute usefully to high-resolution dating in this recent period, and was observed as a key problem for mid second millennium AD North American archaeology (e.g. Pendergast 1993)
We considered in hypothetical terms the AD 1480–1630 reversal/plateau and the case of the relatively short duration Late Woodland village sites of northeastern North America
Summary
Reversals and plateaus in the radiocarbon (14C) calibration curve are a recognized challenge for archaeological (and other) dating (Taylor et al 1996: 661–662). A given set of 14C values contemporary with a plateau produce calendar dating probability spread over a long period, or periods, largely irrespective of the accuracy and precision of the individual 14C measurements. This poses difficulties for resolving succinct and non-ambiguous timeframes for shorter duration contexts, notwithstanding recent efforts to increase 14C definition across some well-known problematic instances of reversals and plateaus in the calibration curve, such as the Hallstatt Plateau ca. This latter case has long been held to render radiocarbon dating unable to contribute usefully to high-resolution dating in this recent period, and was observed as a key problem for mid second millennium AD North American archaeology (e.g. Pendergast 1993). The upcoming IntCal curve (Reimer et al 2020) contains greatly increased data density and refinements
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