AMS 14C Research Articles

Magnetic and grain-size properties of the Weihe River sediments reveal runoff changes in the Holocene

Abstract Detailed and systematic analyses of the magnetic and grain-size properties of the Weihe River sediments were conducted to explore effective proxies that could reflect variations in the runoff. Ultimately, the magnetic parameter χARM/χlf was considered a reliable proxy owing to the close relationship with grain-size fraction larger than 63 μm, with a correlation coefficient of 0.90. By combining accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dating, a timescale ranging from 12,900 year BP to the present was established for the section. Accordingly, the reconstructed runoff variations showed that, from 12,900 to 9,600 year BP, the hydrodynamic force of the river was relatively strong, and the runoff was large. From 9,600 to 7,500 year BP, these two parameters varied from weak to strong, and the trend continued to increase from 7,500 to 5,300 year BP. At 5,300 year BP, the sediments shifted from the fluvial to the continental environment, indicating a marked decrease in the runoff. Although the resolution and pattern of this reconstruction were rough, this is a significant analysis among the historical runoff studies based on floodplain sediments, and the results showed trends that to some extent coincide with the variations in the intensity of the East Asian Summer Monsoon.

The sources and transport pathways of sediment in the northern Ninety-east Ridge of the India Ocean over the last 35000 years

The Ninety-east Ridge (NER) is located in the southern Bay of Bengal in the northeast Indian Ocean and is composed of pelagic and hemipelagic sediments. In addition to contributions from marine biomass, the ridge also contains terrestrially sourced sedimentary material. However, considerable disagreement remains regarding the origin of these terrestrial materials and transport pathways. This paper discusses the collection of seafloor surface sediments and three sediment cores recovered from the northern region of the NER, as well as the analysis of clay minerals, Sr-Nd isotopes, and sediment grain size. The ages of the three core sediments are constrained by AMS 14C dating to better establish the source and transport pathways of the terrestrial materials within NER sediments over the past 35000 years. The research results show that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the predominate source of terrigenous sedimentary material in the NER. In the plateau, the crustal materials were weathered and stripped and then transported to the Andaman Sea via the Irrawaddy River. From there, the material was transported westward by monsoon-driven circulation to the northernmost part of the NER before being transported to the south for final deposition. This transport mode has changed little over the past 35000 years. However, during the rapidly changing climate of the Younger Dryas (12.9~11.5 ka BP), there were some variations in the input amount, grain size, and Sr-Nd isotope value of the source material. The above conclusions are significant for re-evaluating the source of terrigenous sediments, the temporal and spatial changes in transport modes, and the sensitivity of the NER to climatic shifts.

Late-Holocene paleoceanographic and climatic changes and their impact on Indian socio-economic conditions: Benthic foraminiferal evidence from the Bay of Bengal

The present work is pursued on the benthic foraminiferal groups obtained from NGHP core samples of the western Bay of Bengal to understand the variations of paleoceanography and Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM), as well as socio-economic changes in ancient India. Benthic foraminiferal AMS 14C dating reveals that the studied interval spans between 335 BC and 1355 AD, covering the history of the last 1690 years. We compared foraminifera group counts with published isotopes, sunspot number, summer monsoon index, hematite-stained grain, Al/Ca, 14C data sets. Angular Asymmetrical Benthic Foraminifera, infaunal, and dysoxic groups exhibit declining trends with warm, humid intervals with intensified ISM signature from 335 BC to 406 AD (Roman Warm Period) and from 787 to 1202 AD (Medieval Warm Period). The Increasing trend of the above foraminiferal groups captures the signature of weak ISM from 406 to 787 AD (Dark Age Cold Period) and from 1202 to 1355 AD (Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age Transition). Whereas rounded symmetrical benthic foraminifera, epifaunal, and oxic groups show a reverse relation with the abovementioned groups. Spectral analysis of foraminiferal groups shows significant periodicities of 563/561, 450, 321, 281/250, 22/27, and 17/16/15 years, corresponding to various solar cycles. This research uncovers the relationship between solar activity and monsoonal changes, which influenced India’s economic growth and played a crucial role in the establishment and demise of successive dynasties throughout the Indian subcontinent during the late-Holocene.

REFINING CERAMIC CHRONOLOGY AND EPICLASSIC REOCCUPATION AT LA VENTILLA, TEOTIHUACAN USING TRAPEZOIDAL BAYESIAN MODELING

ABSTRACTAccelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates (n = 78) from human bone collagen were analyzed in the largest high-resolution chronology study to date at the ancient city of Teotihuacan in central Mexico (ca. AD 1–550). Samples originate from the residential neighborhood of La Ventilla, located in the heart of this major urban center. Here, a trapezoidal model using Bayesian statistics is built from 14C dates combined with data derived from the stylistic analysis of ceramics from burial contexts. Based on this model, we suggest possible refinements to Teotihuacan’s ceramic chronology, at least within the La Ventilla neighborhood. We also explore the abandonment and reoccupation of La Ventilla after the political collapse of Teotihuacan in the Metepec and Coyotlatelco phases. Findings suggest that these ceramic phases began earlier than is currently projected and that the well-documented abandonment period of La Ventilla may have occurred more abruptly than originally estimated.

Geochemical Records of the Late Glacial and Holocene Paleoenvironmental Changes from the Lake Kaskadnoe-1 Sediments (East Sayan Mountains, South Siberia)

Long-term and continuous lake sedimentary records offer enormous potential for interpreting paleoenvironmental histories and for understanding how terrestrial environments might respond to current global warming conditions. However, sedimentary records that contain the Late Glacial and Holocene epochs are scarce in deep continental high-mountain regions. A 150 cm sediment core was obtained from Lake Kaskadnoe-1 in the East Sayan Mountains (South Siberia, Russia, 2080 m above sea level), containing a unique record of the last 13,200 calibrated years (cal yr). Chronological control was obtained by AMS 14C dating. Here, we show the first detailed X-ray fluorescence (XRF) geochemical record, with the goal of broadening our knowledge of the paleoenvironmental history of the East Sayan Mountains in the past. The determination of major compounds and trace elements (Sr, Zr) was performed from each centimeter of the Lake Kaskadnoe-1 sediment core. The inorganic geochemistry indicates significant variations in elemental composition between two major lithological units of the sediment core: the Late Glacial dense grey silty clay (150–144 cm), and the upper interval (0–143 cm) mostly consisted of dark biogenic-terrigenous silt, accumulated during the Holocene. The Late Glacial sediments accumulated 13,200–12,800 cal yr BP are characterized by high values of CIA, Mg/Al, K/Al, and Mn/Fe, and are depleted in Si/Al, Fe/Al, and Ca/Al. During the Younger Dryas cold episode, LOI enrichment was probably caused by the presence of less oxic conditions, as seen in lower Mn/Fe values, due to a longer period of lake ice-cover. The Early Holocene (12,000–7500 cal yr BP) is associated with a decreasing trend of mineral matter with fluvial transport to Lake Kaskadnoe-1 (low K/Al, Mg/Al) and stronger chemical weathering in the lake basin. The increase in Ti/Al, K/Al and CIA values over the last 7500 years suggests an increase in the terrigenous input into the lake. Low LOI values can be possibly explained by the presence of less dense vegetation cover in the basin. In summary, our data indicate that the geochemical indices and selected elemental ratios mirror the sedimentation conditions that were triggered by environmental and climate changes during the Late Glacial and Holocene.

A new chronological framework for Chuandong Cave and its implications for the appearance of modern humans in southern China

Chuandong Cave is an important Late Paleolithic site because it documents the early appearance of bone tools in southern China. We used the single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol for optically stimulated luminescence dating to improve the precision of the chronology for the Chuandong Cave sedimentary sequence. The age of each layer was determined using a Bayesian modeling approach which combined optically stimulated luminescence ages with published AMS 14C dates. The results showed that Layer 10 began accumulating since 56 ± 14 ka and provides the upper age limit for all artifacts from the sequence. Bone awl tools from Layer 8, the earliest grinding bone tools in this site, were recovered within sediments between 40 ± 7 ka and 30 ± 4 ka. Layer 8 also indicates the appearance of modern humans in the Chuandong Cave sequence. Layers 4–2, ranging from 15 ± 3 ka until 11 ± 1 ka and including the Younger Dryas period, contain a few bone awls and an eyed bone needle. The shift from bone awls to eyed bone needles in the Chuandong Cave sequence indicates that modern humans adapted to the changing climate of southern China. We conclude that modern human behavior in bone tools appeared in southern China as early as 40 ± 7 ka, became more sophisticated during the Last Glacial Maximum, and spread more widely across southern China during the Younger Dryas.

Routine performance and biomedical/pharmaceutical applications of the HVE low-energy 14C AMS system

The HVE 4102Bo-AMS dedicated to 14C analyses minimizes measurement background by using a charge state selector in the accelerator terminal. The measured blank 14C/12C level for solid samples was determined to be 5.6 × 10-16, corresponding to more than 60,000 radiocarbon years.Tests on ion source memory indicated a prompt (<10 sec) decrease from OxII 14C/12C ratio (1.58 × 10-12) to ∼1.2 × 10-15 for the next sample (>3 orders of magnitude) followed by an approx. 40 s decay time to the background level of 5 × 10-16. The AMS system demonstrated its capability of supporting biomedical/pharmaceutical applications using CO2 samples from blood plasma with 14C activities ranging from 1002 to 0.752 mBq/mL in a qualification test performed with an external partner.

New radiocarbon dates and the prehistoric human occupation at the Lake Qinghai Basin, northeast Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is known as the rooftop of the planet. Its hypoxic atmosphere in low oxygen partial pressure, extreme seasonal climate variation, and aridity poses severe challenges as harsh living environments for prehistoric human to occupy in such high-altitude niches. However, the Lake Qinghai is the largest lake on the Tibetan Plateau and the basin has rich water, mineral, and wild food resources, and prehistoric human occupied the Lake Qinghai Basin long before local farming was in practice. In this paper we present results of faunal assemblages associated with variable stone artifacts and pottery shards with bone collagen accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates from 3 new archaeological sites to investigate human occupation history in the southern Lake Qinghai Basin. The AMS 14C dating results reveal that the occupation occurs intermittently from the late Glacial to entire Holocene. Through compilation and synthesis of regional archaeological records, we found that prehistoric humans went through 3 phases of subsistence strategies: 1) hunting large and medium ungulates; 2) hunting medium ungulates; 3) foraging small size mammals with birds and fish diets. At the end, prehistoric humans increasingly adapted to forage and consume caprinaes species (goat), which represents a precursor of domestication or semi-domestication of wild animals in the Lake Qinghai Basin. We further attribute the utilization of caprinaes animal resources to the lower limbs of toe and phalange bones with low nutritious values to advanced social organization that implied prehistoric humans separated hunting activity from protein processing practices. Our investigation of zooarchaeology with reliable bone collagen AMS 14C dates could become a novel approach to study adaptation strategy and social structure changes of prehistorical Tibetan humans.

AMS 14C dating of bioapatite: Advantage and disadvantage

Most methods of bone preparation for 14C dating are designed to extract collagen or individual compounds. The problem becomes acute for poorly preserved bones, since they have no collagen. The bioapatite is stable against microbiological decomposition and dissolution over millennium scales. However, it may be exposed to isotopic exchange with environmental carbonates.We are reviewing our research during the last decades comparing the dating different fractions of bones of different ages and differing preservation degrees. The results have shown that preservation of bioapatite depends on the conditions of the environment in which samples were buried. The wet environment affects bioapatite by enriching it with 14C due to isotopic exchange with environmental carbonates. 14C depletion of bone bioapatite deposited in caves and in limestone is possible. The results for the samples from arid, semi-arid and non-carbonate environments are in a good agreement with dates on other materials.

Soil erosion and anthropogenic impact on landscape evolution over the past 2500 years: A case study of the Villers-Ecalles dry valley (Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France)

The present study analyzes archaeological and pedo-geomorphological data gathered from a Protohistoric settlement in Normandy (Northwestern France), in order to characterize upper Holocene landscape evolution, as well as to assess the impact of erosional processes in relation to human occupation over the past 2500 years. The settlement studied herein is located on the Pays de Caux plateau, in Villers-Ecalles, where luvisols, which have developed on Upper Pleistocene loess deposits, have been truncated by both natural and anthropogenic processes. This study compares the luvisol profiles along a catena / toposequence in a dry valley where a colluvial deposit record is observed. The latter is associated with an intense truncation of luvisols dating from the end of the Protohistoric period, especially during the Late Iron Age (La Tène period, 3rd century BCE), and during a Roman rural occupation (until the Later Roman Empire). Grain-size analysis and geochemistry allow characterizing the nature of colluvium and determine the signature as well as the sediment sourcing. The micromorphological analysis reveals the natural and anthropogenic processes at the origin of the studied microfacies (e.g., soil crusting, waterlogging, cultivation practices). The chronostratigraphy of the sequence is based on AMS 14C dating and archaeological remains, such as a fragment of a rotating grinding wheel from the La Tène period, providing a well-dated terminus post quem (TPQ). The colluviation has increased in modern times, probably due to a combination of both land use, as the main forcing factor, and the Little Ice Age (the LIA occurred approximately between 1550 and 1850 CE) as a secondary factor. The data enable us to reconstruct the diachronic evolution of the settlement over the past 2500 years. They also show the rhythmicity of erosional processes over the course of this period, linked with human and climate forcings.

SOIL EROSION CAUSED THE INCREASING HOLOCENE RADIOCARBON RESERVOIR EFFECT OF LAKE KANAS IN THE ALTAI MOUNTAINS

ABSTRACTRadiocarbon (14C) dating of the total organic carbon (TOC) content of lacustrine sediments is always affected by a 14C reservoir effect and the 14C dates are often systematically older than the true ages. However, there are few studies of the temporal changes of the 14C reservoir effect, with reference to the specific influencing factors. We collected TOC samples from the Holocene sediments of Lake Kanas, in the southern Altai Mountains, for AMS 14C dating and compared the results with AMS 14C ages based on terrestrial plant macrofossils from the same depths. The results show that the reservoir ages progressively increased from ∼0 to ∼2800 yr between ∼9700 cal BP and ∼530 cal BP. As the lake catchment was glaciated prior to the Holocene, and Holocene soils and peats are the main sources of the TOC in the lake sediments, we argue that soil erosion is the major factor contributing to the progressive increase in the reservoir age. Based on previously reported evidence for increasing moisture in central Asia and glacier advances in the mid-to-late Holocene, we suggest that the intensified soil erosion on the hillslopes was caused by increased precipitation during the mid-to-late Holocene and by anthropogenic forest clearance after 1500 cal BP.

Ultra small mass AMS 14C sample preparation and analyses at NIES-TERRA AMS facility

We have made substantial improvements to the NEC 5 MV tandem Pelletron AMS system, such as installing a new type of MC-SNICS ionizer, reconstructing beam lines with the development of the graphite preparation method using an online elemental analyzer for small mass samples down to 1 μgC. To obtain an adequately stable and strong beam current intensity for reliable measurement of small mass samples, we examined graphite position depths (0.35–2.0 mm) related to the optimal geometric conditions to enhance the efficiency of the iron catalyst. Our AMS system generated the most stable and intense beam current at a graphite depth of 1.5–2.0 mm and 2 mg of the iron catalyst, with ionization efficiency of 18–22 %. Under these conditions, the current produced with the 1–10 μgC samples showed a more stable beam current (10–20 μA) and a fivefold increase in beam output duration (greater than 30 min compared to 5 min at 1 μgC). Effects of small carbon graphite-induced isotopic fractionation and higher background was corrected by measuring samples relative to standards of similar mass and a blank. The pMC results were obtained for ultra-small samples ranging from 1 to 50 μgC, calculated relative to adjacent HOxII (NIST SRM 4990C) and IAEA-C1 standards of similar amounts for corrected 14C contents, were approximately in agreement with consensus values overall. By using the method developed in this study, we confirmed the 14C content of ultra-small carbon samples of (1-10 μgC) of IAEA-C8 standards can be measured with precision and accuracy of a few percent.

NEW HUMAN BONE RADIOCARBON DATES FROM THE ROMAN PERIOD–MIGRATION PERIOD LITHUANIAN CEMETERIES

ABSTRACTA set (n = 37) of new human bone radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry (14C AMS) dates from 11 Lithuanian Late Roman Period–Migration Period cemeteries is presented and discussed in the light of the established schemes of archaeological chronology. The focus of the paper is on the burials of the military and social elite, which indicate the emergence of new cultural traditions in E–S and W–Central Lithuania or the immigration that took place during this time. The 14C dates allow us to suggest corrections to the dominant chronological pattern of cultural development in the region.

The timing of the deglaciation in the Atlantic Iberian mountains: Insights from the stratigraphic analysis of a lake sequence in Serra da Estrela (Portugal)

AbstractUnderstanding the environmental response to the last glacial termination in regions located in transitional climate zones such as the Atlantic Iberian mountains is crucial to estimate potential changes in regions affected by current glacial melting. We present an 8.5 m‐long, solid last deglaciation and Holocene chronostratigraphic record including detailed sediment analysis from Lake Peixão, a pro‐glacial lake in the Serra da Estrela (Central Portugal). The age–depth model relies on a Bayesian approach that includes 16 AMS 14C dates and 210Pb–137CS measurements, robustly dating the lake formation at 14.7 ± 0.32 cal. ka BP. This chronological reconstruction shows an average sedimentation rate of ca. 0.07 cm yr−1 (15 yr cm−1), enabling proxy analyses at decadal timescales. The sediment sequence is composed of five lithological units: (U1) coarse and unsorted fluvioglacial lacustrine deposits; (U2) massive fluvioglacial lacustrine deposits (863–790 cm below surface [bsf]; 14.7 ± 0.32–13.8 ± 0.12 cal. ka BP); (U3) water current fluvioglacial lacustrine deposits (790–766 cm bsf; 13.8 ± 0.12–12.9 ± 0.29 cal. ka BP); (U4) laminated/banded lacustrine deposits characterized by terrigenous deposits from ice‐covered lake periods and episodic events of ice and snow melting (766–752 cm bsf; 12.9 ± 0.29–11.7 ± 0.15 cal. ka BP); and (U5) massive muddy lacustrine deposits (752–0 cm bsf; 11.7 ± 0.15 cal. ka BP–present). The occurrence of U2 to U4 deposits defines the transition from glacial cold (U1) to net warm postglacial conditions (U5). These climate transitions are marked by changes in sediments and the presence of very low sedimentation rate periods, possibly related to the Intra‐Allerød Cold Period and the coldest phase of the Younger Dryas. Our results support the previously proposed timing of the retreat of the Serra da Estrela glaciers ca. 13.8 ± 0.12 cal. ka BP. The robust chronology of Lake Peixão highlights the potential of Iberian pro‐glacial lakes for dating deglaciation processes and will lead to unprecedented decadal‐to‐centennial timescale palaeoclimate reconstructions in this region since the last glacial–interglacial transition.

Reconstruction of landscape and climate of the largest drainage basin in the Ladakh Range, NW Trans Himalaya during the last 7000 years

Landform geomorphology and glacial lake deposits in the largest drainage basin of the Ladakh Range i.e. Chang La-Tangtse basin were studied to infer their palaeoclimatic significance. The grain size, mineral magnetism, percentage loss on ignition (%LOI) and organic carbon stable isotope (δ13C) data in combination with total organic carbon (TOC) supported by AMS 14C (calibrated) dates of a 190 cm long section from the Chang La-Tsoltak palaeolake provides a climatic record since the last ∼ 7075 cal yr BP. The χlf, χARM, and SIRM values suggest that the catchment-derived palaeolake sediments predominantly contain magnetically “soft” minerals like magnetite and maghemite. The δ13C values range between −21 and −24 ‰ with an average of –22 ‰ which suggests a mixed C3-C4 plant signature and water stressed ecosystem. The relatively small variations in the δ13C values of organic matter in the entire lake profile suggest a stable climatic condition. The prominent effect of westerlies is seen between 7075 and 6040 cal yr BP with huge detrital influx at the lake bottom indicating a glacial advancement in the region. The affect of Mid-Holocene warm period is evident at 6040 cal yr BP with the advent of ISM. Paradigm shifts in the proxy values are observed at 5710, 4890, 3435, and 2800 cal yr BP. The influence of westerlies gradually reduces at 2800 cal yr BP. The landscape evolution and the climatic variations in the Trans-Himalaya are primarily governed by westerlies and do not correspond to the Indian monsoon variability records, particularly during the Mid-Holocene Thermal Maxima. Several other regions of the Ladakh Range also record similar climatic variations, indicating that the palaeolake sediments also reflect regional climate variations.

Age‐Depth Models for Tropical Marine Hemipelagic Deposits Improve Significantly When Proxy‐Based Information on Sediment Composition Is Included

AbstractAccurate age‐depth models for marine sediment cores are crucial for understanding paleo‐oceanographic and ‐climatic changes derived from these archives. To date, information on bulk sediment composition is largely ignored as a potential source of information to improve age‐depth models. In this study, we explore how bulk sediment composition can be qualitatively used to improve age‐depth models. We developed the BomDia algorithm, which produces age‐depth models with realistic sediment accumulation rates that co‐vary in harmony with the bulk sediment composition. We demonstrate that changes in the marine versus terrigenous sediment deposition, based on bulk sediment composition, can be used to significantly improve age‐depth models of hemipelagic marine deposits. Based on two marine records—each containing more than 20 radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dated levels—we show that the mean error of prediction of unused AMS 14C ages significantly improves from 3.9% using simple linear interpolation, to 2.4% (p = 0.003), when bulk sediment composition is included. The BomDia age‐depth modeling approach provides a powerful statistical tool to assess the validity of age control points used and also may assist in the detection of hiatuses. Testing and further development of the BomDia algorithm may be needed for application in depositional settings other than tropical hemipelagic.

Paulje, mound XI (mound K): new absolute dates and provenience of the earliest amber finds in Serbia

This paper presents three new absolute dates for the central grave of mound XI (K) at the Paulje necropolis in the lower Drina valley. Also, we present the results of FTIR spectroscopy for the amber finds from the 4 mounds in the necropolis, including mound XI (K). In general the results confirm the earlier assumed chronology of the site - the 14C AMS dates fit the timeframe – the central grave fits ideally the previous timeframe for the Brezjak culture, i.e. the 15th and 14th century BC, and all of the amber samples are definitely of Baltic origin. These two facts clearly suggest that the amber finds from the lower Drina could mark one of the earliest appearances of Baltic amber in the Central Balkans.

Sedimentary records and implications for the evolution of sedimentary environments inferred from BH1302 during the late Quaternary in the Bohai Sea, China

Under the influence of glacial-interglacial climate change and regional tectonic activities in the Quaternary, the sedimentary environments of the Bohai Sea changed greatly, providing significant information on transgression-regression events, East Asian monsoon changes and regional tectonic activities. This study analyzed the sedimentological characteristics of the BH1302 core (water depth of 12.3 m, length of 70.2 m) in the southern Bohai Sea based on grain size, foraminiferal assemblages, carbon and oxygen isotopes in foraminiferal shells and element geochemistry, and established a chronological framework based on AMS 14C, optically stimulated luminescence dating and Oxcal age-depth model using Bayesian modeling. The results showed that three interglacial transgressions and one interstadial transgression were revealed in BH1302 since the late Quaternary, corresponding to marine isotope stages (MIS) 7, 5, 3 and 1, and three subinterglacial transgressions were further identified during MIS 7. The sedimentary environments of Laizhou Bay transitioned from an estuary environment dominated by rivers to a neritic environment dominated by marine conditions because of subsidence of the Miaodao uplift in late MIS 7.1. Three subinterglacial transgressions occurred in MIS5 and two subinterstadial transgressions in MIS 3, and the highstand sea level of MIS 3 reached approximately −18 ∼ −21 m. Under the influence of sea level fluctuations and the East Asian monsoon, the sedimentary environments of MIS 1 can be divided into a low salinity tidal-flat environment (12.0–7.0 kyr BP), a low salinity neritic environment (7.0–4.5 kyr BP) and a modern neritic environment (∼4.5 kyr BP).

Animal Bones, Bone Artefacts and Bone Working at Late Bronze Age Fortified Settlements in North-Eastern Lithuania: Sokiškiai, Mineikiškės and Garniai I

The article discusses artefacts made of osseous materials found in the Late Bronze Age fortified settlement sites in north-eastern Lithuania. Earlier, Bronze Age bone items from three Lithuanian sites – Narkūnai, Nevieriškė and Ke­reliai – have been analysed more thoroughly. Of sites discussed here, Sokiškiai has been archaeologically investigated in the beginning of the 1980-ies. In recent years, research has been carried out on the fortified settlements of Mineikiškės and Garniai I. 14C AMS dates have been used to date new sites as well as to specify the dates of previously studied settlements. During this research, approximately half a hundred bone, antler and tooth objects were examined, and the material used to make them was determined, if possible up to the species and skeletal part. Among the materials used, bone predominated, antler was used less, and teeth were used in only a few cases. An overview is given of the common types of bone objects, the processing techniques used to make them and the uses of the objects. The majority of tools are chisels and scrapers, and awls and points, many of which could have been used as leather working tools. The third major group of finds is bone pins, which testify to the clothing fashion that needed pins for attachment. Comparing the finds of Late Bronze Age fortified settlements in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Byelorussia, greater similarity can be observed in certain types of bone artefacts in south-eastern Latvia, north-western Byelorussia, and north-eastern Lithuania.

Multidisciplinary Research in Late Bronze Age Kukuliškiai Settlement (Klaipėda District): Methods and Primary Results

The aim of this article is to present the most important results of the archaeological research of the Kukuliškiai settlement (Klaipėda district) in 2017–2020. During 3 seasons of the research, more than 3 hectares of the territory on the Littorina sea terrace were scanned by GPR, 101 geological drills were hammered, and an area of 45m2 was investigated. Fifteen AMS 14C dates were taken from different objects and stratigraphic layers of the settlement. Dating showed that settlement was contemporaneous and occupied around c. 800–400 cal BC. The complexity and scope of the research provides valuable insights into the lifestyle of Late Bronze Age coastal community. The discovery of wooden structures, organic artefacts and ecofacts indicates that the site provides excellent conditions for the survival of organics, of which there are only a dozen in Lithuania. The site and the collected research data, therefore, offer exceptional opportunities for the study of Bronze Age life not only in the coastal Lithuanian, but also in the southeastern Baltic region.