ANSTO :: Browsing by Author "Bertuch, F"

Browsing by Author "Bertuch, F"

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15th International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
(Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2021-11-15) Bertuch, F; Child, DP; Fink, D; Fülöp, RH; Hotchkis, MAC; Hua, Q; Jacobsen, GE; Jenkinson, A; Levchenko, VA; Simon, KJ; Smith, AM; Wilcken, KM; Williams, AA; Williams, ML; Yang, B; Fallon, SJ; Wallner, T
On behalf of the AMS-15 Organising committee, we would like to thank you for attending the 15th International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Held as an online event for the first time, the 2021 conference attracted over 300 attendees with presentations delivered by colleagues and professionals from around the globe.Applications of AMS to the world’s most pressing problems/questions: A-1 : Earth’s dynamic climate palaeoclimate studies, human impacts on climate, data for climate modelling. A-2 : Water resource sustainability groundwater dating, hydrology, water quality and management A-3 : Living landscapes soil production, carbon storage, erosion, sediment transport, geomorphology. A-4 : Catastrophic natural events volcanoes, cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, space weather, mass extinctions. A-5 : Advancing human health metabolic and bio-kinetic studies, bomb-pulse dating, diagnostics and bio-tracing. A-6 : Challenges of the nuclear age nuclear safeguards, nuclear forensics, nuclear waste management, nuclear site monitoring, impacts of nuclear accidents. A-7 :Understanding the human story archaeology, human evolution and migration, history, art and cultural heritage A-8 : Understanding the cosmos fundamental physics, nuclear astrophysics, nuclear physics AMS Research and Development: T-1 : Novel AMS systems, components and techniques T-2 : Suppression of isobars and other interferences T-3 : Ion sourcery T-4 : New AMS isotopes T-5 : Advances in sample preparation T-6 : Data quality and management T-7 : Facility Reports (Poster Presentation only)
ANSTO AMS facility sample processing and target preparation: an update
(20th International Radiocarbon Conference, 2009-06-01) Jacobsen, GE; Barry, LA; Bertuch, F; Hua, Q; Mifsud, C; Pratap, P; Reilly, N; Varley, S; Williams, AG
The ANSTO AMS Facility has been operating for the past 17 years, and comprises two accelerators complemented with a suite of chemistry laboratories dedicated to the processing of samples for carbon, beryllium, aluminium, iodine, and actinide analyses. The facility performs and supports a wide range of research in the areas of paleoclimate change, water resource sustainability, archaeology, geomorphology, and nuclear safeguards. As a result, the chemistry laboratories are called upon to process a large variety of sample types and increasing numbers of samples. The radiocarbon laboratories process charcoal, wood, sediments, pollen, carbonates, waters, textiles, and bone though the pretreatment stages, combustion or hydrolysis, and graphitization. Over the years, we have continually worked to improve pretreatment methods, reduce sample size, and reduce background. Construction of a dedicated low-background combustion and graphitization system is underway. The cosmogenic laboratories process quartz-bearing rocks and sediments through cleaning, dissolution, separation, and purification of Be and Al and preparation of targets as oxides. In this poster, we will summarize the current methods and developments in the radiocarbon and cosmogenic chemistry laboratories.
ANSTO Radiocarbon Laboratory: developments to meet the needs of our community
(Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2021-11-17) Bertuch, F; Williams, AA; Yang, B; Nguyen, TH; Varley, S; Jacobsen, GE; Hua, Q
The radiocarbon chemistry laboratories in the Centre for Accelerator Science at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) have a role providing support to AMS measurements for government organisations, industry, and academia in Australia and overseas. Over recent years the radiocarbon laboratories at ANSTO have expanded to support projects that address unique challenges which include environmental issues, the sustainable management of water resources, climate variability, ecological studies, and research into Indigenous heritage. The increase of work in these areas has seen a growing demand for processing samples of groundwater, rock art, ice cores, tree rings and Antarctic mosses. Here we will present an update of our procedures for processing a diverse range of sample types. We will also describe developments such as an automated dissolved organic carbon (DIC) extraction system for water samples, and our automated AAA pretreatment system. We will also outline our range of graphitisation systems which include a set of 24 Fe/H2 graphitisation units, 6 microconventional furnace (MCF) Fe/H2 graphitisation lines, a laser heated furnace (LHF) graphitisation system, and an Ionplus AGE-3 graphitisation system (owned by UNSW). Our MCF and conventional graphitisation lines have been designed to handle and reliably produce graphite targets containing as little as 5 μg and 10ugC of carbon respectively), making the graphitisation of minute carbon samples from rock art and ice cores possible.
Atmospheric 14C variations derived from tree rings during the early Younger Dryas
(Elsevier, 2009-12) Hua, Q; Barbetti, M; Fink, D; Kaiser, KF; Friedrich, M; Kromer, B; Levchenko, VA; Zoppi, U; Smith, AM; Bertuch, F
Atmospheric radiocarbon variations over the Younger Dryas interval, from ~13,000 to 11,600 cal yr BP, are of immense scientific interest because they reveal crucial information about the linkages between climate, ocean circulation and the carbon cycle. However, no direct and reliable atmospheric 14C records based on tree rings for the entire Younger Dryas have been available. In this paper, we present (1) high-precision 14C measurements on the extension of absolute tree-ring chronology from 12,400 to 12,560 cal yr BP and (2) high-precision, high-resolution atmospheric 14C record derived from a 617-yr-long tree-ring chronology of Huon pine from Tasmania, Australia, spanning the early Younger Dryas. The new tree-ring 14C records bridge the current gap in European tree-ring radiocarbon chronologies during the early Younger Dryas, linking the floating Lateglacial Pine record to the absolute tree-ring timescale. A continuous and reliable atmospheric 14C record for the past 14,000 cal yr BP including the Younger Dryas is now available. The new records indicate that the abrupt rise in atmospheric Δ14C associated with the Younger Dryas onset occurs at ~12,760 cal yr BP, ~240 yrs later than that recorded in Cariaco varves, with a smaller magnitude of ~40‰ followed by several centennial Δ14C variations of 20–25‰. Comparing the tree-ring Δ14C to marine-derived Δ14C and modelled Δ14C based on ice-core 10Be fluxes, we conclude that changes in ocean circulation were mainly responsible for the Younger Dryas onset, while a combination of changes in ocean circulation and 14C production rate were responsible for atmospheric Δ14C variations for the remainder of the Younger Dryas. © 2009, Elsevier Ltd.
A carved ivory cylinder from Akchakhan-kala, Uzbekistan: problems of dating and provenance
(Elsevier B.V., 2016-02-01) Betts, AVG; Dodson, JR; Garbe, U; Bertuch, F; Thorogood, GJ
Excavations at Akchakhan-kala in Uzbekistan, a region known in antiquity as Chorasmia, recovered a large, elaborately carved and heavily burned cylinder of some very solid material. Its poor condition made identification of the raw material difficult. Here we used neutron tomography to examine the internal structure in a non-destructive way, and X-ray Diffraction to determine the main chemical composition of the material which confirmed it as ivory. This was followed by preparation for stable isotope and radiocarbon analysis. The stable isotope analysis suggests a tropical or subtropical grassland source for the ivory, which is unlikely to be from Uzbekistan. The dating shows the ivory to be much earlier than the context in which it was found. Whatever its origin, the ivory travelled far to reach Chorasmia, perhaps in its raw state, and perhaps also for some time in its carved form. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
Cave lion skeleton from the Maly Anyuy River (Chukotka, Russia)
(School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2014-04-01) Kirrillova, IV; Tiunov, AV; Levchenko, VA; Chernova, OF; Bertuch, F; Shidlovsky, FK
Cave lion (Panthera spelaea) remains, like skeletons, skulls and individual bones, have been discovered all over the mammoth fauna range from Iberian Peninsula to North America. In Russia these finds are scattered and seldom. In summer 2008 a compact cluster of cave lion remains belonging to a single specimen, a tuft of visually unidentified ginger-coloured hair and a horse vertebra were found in the water under the bank outcrop of Maly Anuy River (68.18 N, 161.44 E), Chukotka, Russia. The find included 36 vertebrae, 20 ribs, limbs bones: scapula, humerus, pelvic, femur, tibia, 6bula, patellae, talus, metatarsal, and third phalanx with cover. In 2009 on the same spot the cave lion mandibular bones were found. Their age, sex and features support the probability of belonging to the same specimen as the skeleton prior. Bone sizes (mandible length: 255.7-262.0 mm; P3-M1 mean alveolar length: 80.2 mm; mean LxB of M1: 29.5x14.9 mm; M1 mean height (buccal): 53.5 mm; length of humerus: 386.1 mm, of femur: 431.5 mm, of tibia: 362.0 mm) fell within the range of other cave lion finds. Some bones display deformities and age-related changes, e.g. an asymmetry of thoracic and sacral vertebrae, a notch on the scapula, sclerotized ligaments on the femur and tibia, osteophytes on the ribs. Vertebrae asymmetry is probably a result of young age trauma. Sclerotized ligaments are likely a sign of myositis – common for musculoskeletal overloads. The mandibles bear traces of age-related changes and pathological cortex transformation due to periostitis, usually from traumatic injuries. The noted features are not a sign of systemic illness though. The bone cortex, apart from the mandible outer surface, is dense and healthy; joint surfaces show no traces of degradation; muscle origins and insertions are clearly pronounced on the bones that testifies a high motor activity of the animal. The skeleton evidently belonged to a mature but not old male. The age, from counting the annual layers in canine cementum, was about 12 years. The claw sheath on the third phalanx and fur sample are of particular interest, since the cave lion skin derivatives have not been discovered previously. Stable isotope analyses of samples taken from a few bones, fur and claw sheath of the finds were done to check the possible diet of the animal and specimens identity. The results compared with five more specimens of cave lion and some representatives of mammoth fauna from Chukchi and Yakut territories, namely mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, bison, horse, two species of deer, bighorn sheep and wolf (all samples from the Ice Age Museum, Moscow). The isotopic signature of the Anuy lion remains testifes that all of them nearly certainly came from the same individual, yet the mandible slightly differs from the rest. Stable isotope studies for this cave lion also define that the main prey included Bison, Equus and Ovibos. Notably, reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) was not among its most probable prey. The obtained stable isotope results for the found lion remains and its potential diet deviate from these for Western Europe, where reindeer remained the main food source (Bocherens et al., 2011). This deviation can be explained by relatively smaller reindeer population in the Asian North-East compared to the other available ungulate prey. The tuft of fur found near the cave lion’s remains has good differentiation: guard hair (I–IV categories) (GH) and woolly hair (I–II categories) (WH). GH colour varies from light-yellow to dark-brown, without a black tip. WH is light-yellow or whitish. GH type I are typical primary hairs, which, judging by their fragments of length up to 50 mm, are long, thick (up to 200 μm), strong and smooth. The shape of shaft at the base is cylindrical, but in the middle one side flattens a little. The medulla is well-developed, occupies up to 80% of the shaft diameter and runs through its middle. GH of other categories are thinner (45–90 μm) and have medulla less developed. WH are long, with 3–6 bends looking like elastic springs. In the bends the medulla is shifted in the direction of lesser radii. Unlike the modern lion’s the found fur has very thick and dense woolly undercoat of numerous closely shut and compressed wavy woolly hairs with the medulla. The coloration of the hair is not fully similar to that of the modern lion. The microstructure and degree of development of the medulla and the cortex, and the ornament of the cuticle look similar between modern species and the found sample, but the cuticular scales of the find are larger. Because of the small size of the tuft and absence of other cave lion hair samples for comparison it is not possible to determine its origin topographically or relate to a season. Its attribution to a lion is still debatable. Radiocarbon AMS dating was performed at ANSTO (Fink et al., 2004) for samples taken from a rib, claw sheath and fur tuft (lab codes OZQ290, OZQ291, OZQ292). Bone sample exhibited good collagen preservation, consistent with its origin from permafrost. Keratin was analysed for claw and fur. Both rib and claw gave 14C dates greater than 61 thousand years. Fur in contrast came out much younger (28690+130 14C years), which makes it impossible to come from the same specimen as the bones. However, its stable isotope signature fits that for the carnivore. The remains from the Maly Anuy River represent the first associated skeleton of cave lion found in Russia and the most ancient for the region.
Chronology, stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental interpretation of a Late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene cave accumulation on Kangaroo Island, South Australia
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2013-10-01) McDowell, MC; Bestland, EA; Bertuch, F; Ayliffe, LK; Hellstrom, JC; Jacobsen, GE; Prideaux, GJ
Chronological, sedimentological and geochemical analyses of a clastic infill from Kelly Hill Cave (5K1), Kangaroo Island, document a palaeoenvironmental record that spans from the Late Pleistocene to the middle Holocene. We AMS radiocarbon-dated bone collagen and U-Th-dated speleothem to determine that fossiliferous sediments were deposited between >20ka and 7ka ago. Most of the 15 sedimentary layers are dominated by sand- and silt-sized quartz that is physically and geochemically comparable with surface soils in the Kelly Hill area. Late Pleistocene and Last Glacial Maximum strata are represented primarily by homogeneous, poorly sorted quartz-rich sediments that contain little organic matter, but include a thin layer composed largely of silt-sized clay pellets that resemble sediments deflated from playa lakes. Microstructures observed in petrographic slides indicate that, with the exception of one layer, all sediments experienced little reworking once deposited in the cave. Some layers display pedogenic microstructures such as redeposited clays and opaline silica infilling that indicate postdepositional modification; that is, cave-floor soil development. Overlying Holocene-aged sediments also consist mainly of quartz but have much greater organic matter content. Some of these sediments have been strongly influenced by re-precipitated organic matter that appears to have been transported into the cave via vadose drip water. The presence of dissolved organic matter in soil/vadose waters suggests a high vegetation density and acidic soils, which are congruent with the more equitable climatic conditions characteristic of the Holocene. The sediments described here provide a valuable palaeoenvironmental record that will facilitate future interpretation of associated vertebrate fossils. © 2013, Wiley-Blackwell.
Climatic variations over the last 4000 cal yr BP in the western margin of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, reconstructed from pollen data
(Elsevier, 2012-03-01) Zhao, K; Li, XQ; Dodson, JR; Atahan, P; Zhou, XY; Bertuch, F
The nature of Holocene climate patterns and mechanisms in central Asia are open areas of inquiry. In this study, regional vegetation and climate dynamics over the last ca. 4000 years are reconstructed using a high resolution pollen record from the Kashgar oasis, on the western margin of the Tarim Basin, central Asia. Ephedra, Chenopodiaceae and Cannabaceae dominate the pollen assemblages, and Chenopodiaceae/Ephedra ratios and percentages of long-distance transported pollen taxa are used to infer regional variations in moisture and vegetation density. Three periods of increased humidity are identified, from ca. 4000–2620 cal yr BP, ca. 1750–1260 cal yr BP and ca. 550–390 cal yr BP and these periods coincide with the respective Holocene Bond Events 2, 1 and 0, which are reported in the North Atlantic. Any increase in strength, or southward migration, of the mid-latitude westerlies would result in more precipitation and meltwater on mountains surrounding the study site. Warm and dry conditions are detected between ca.1260 and 840 cal yr BP (AD 690–1110), and cool and wet conditions are detected between ca. 840 and 680 cal yr BP (AD 1110–1270), during the Medieval Warm Period (ca. AD 800–1200). The climate variations in the Kashgar region over the last 4000 years appear to have been dominated by changes to the westerly circulation system and glacier dynamics on surrounding mountains. However, the question of whether the Asian monsoon delivers precipitation to the western Tarim Basin, a region that is influenced by several climate systems, is still open to debate. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.
Early Neolithic diets at Baijia, Wei River valley, China: Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human and faunal remains
(Past Global Changes, 2013-02-13) Atahan, P; Dodson, JR; Li, XQ; Zhou, XY; Hu, S; Chen, L; Bertuch, F; Grice, K
The first farmers of the Wei River valley belonged to the Laoguantai period (ca. 8500-7000 yr BP) and lived in small settlements that were sparsely distributed in the landscape. Understanding of Laoguantai farming practices is limited as only a small number of archaeological sites are known. Here we present stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values for faunal and human bone collagen from Baijia, a Laoguantai site in the Wei River valley of Shaanxi Province, China. Five of the collagen samples have been AMS 14C dated and have a calibrated age range of ca. 7659-7339 yr BP. Stable isotope results show millet and aquatic foods, such as fish and shellfish, being included in the human diet. Bovid samples, which are tentatively identified as water buffalo, have stable carbon isotope values reflecting some millet consumption. The question of whether these bovids were grazing on millet growing wild, or had diets directly influenced by humans, remains to be answered. Stable isotope results for a single pig reveal a markedly different diet, one dominated by C3 plants which would have dominated natural vegetation of the region. Overall, stable isotope results conform to the current view of Laoguantai people being millet farmers with subsistence strategies that included hunted wild foods.
I’ll have what he’s having: a unique example of elite emulation in late new kingdom mummification
(Macquarie University, 2014-07-17) Sowada, K; Jacobsen, GE; Bertuch, F; Jenkinson, A
Not available
Late Pleistocene chronology and environment of woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach, 1799)) in Beringia
(Elsevier, 2021-07-01) Puzachenko, AY; Levchenko, VA; Bertuch, F; Zazovskaya, EP; Kirillova, IV
Uncertain chronology and data scarcity have impeded realistic reconstructions of megafauna extinctions in the Late Pleistocene in several key regions of the Northern Hemisphere such as Beringia. This region was a refuge for several plants, animals during the extremely cold period of the Late Pleistocene in high Arctic latitudes. The woolly rhinoceros was one of the most widespread members of the megafauna in the Asiatic part of the region (West Beringia) between ∼60 and 14 cal ka BP. This study is based on statistical analyses of 20 newly obtained and 110 previously published radiocarbon dates. We found three large “waves” in the woolly rhinoceros range changes separated between themselves by the cold climatic Heinrich events (H2 and H4). The chronology of the woolly rhinoceros was overlaid on data of environmental changes obtained basing on 504 generalized early published pollen spectra throughout the species range and, separately, outside the range – in the east of the West Beringia realm and in East Beringia. In general, milder environmental conditions of MIS3 (57–29 ka BP) were more favourable for the woolly rhinoceros than the harsh conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum (∼29–15 cal ka BP) in MIS2. We have concluded that the feed base was unlikely the main limiting factor in the distribution of woolly rhinoceros in Western Beringia, and other ecological factors (temperature/precipitation) determined the species range and its oscillation over the MIS3–MIS2 stages. Based on summarizing available data and this research, we have proposed that there were sets of different reasons that prevented the woolly rhinoceros migration to the east of Beringia in different periods of the Late Pleistocene. Abrupt woolly rhinoceros extinction in Beringia between 15 and 14 cal ka BP coincided with the Bölling warming and the Older Dryas cooling. The ecological situation just before the extinction, associated with climate warming, moisture increasing and shrub tundra expansion in West Beringia, was qualitatively different from previous cases of the species range degradations in the second half of the Late Pleistocene. This multi-proxy study of woolly rhinoceros chronology provide a new basis for further understanding of its population history, demography, and biology in Beringia before its extinction. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd.
Man and megafauna in Tasmania: closing the gap
(Elsevier B.V., 2012-03-22) Gillespie, R; Camens, AB; Worthy, TH; Rawlence, NJ; Reid, C; Bertuch, F; Levchenko, VA; Cooper, A
Recent discussion on the late Pleistocene extinction of the Australian megafauna has revolved around interpretation of several key fossil sites in Tasmania. It has been suggested that humans did not arrive in Tasmania until after the megafauna became extinct, or did not hunt now extinct megafauna, and therefore that humans cannot be implicated in the extinctions. Radiocarbon results from these sites indicate that the youngest extinct megafauna are close to charcoal ages from the oldest archaeological deposits, although difficulties have arisen in establishing chronologies because most relevant sites have ages near the limit for radiocarbon analysis. We report a series of new radiocarbon ages, delta C-13, delta N-15 and C:N ratios on collagen and dentine fractions from skeletal remains in the Mount Cripps karst area and the Mowbray Swamp, both in northwestern Tasmania, and discuss the reliability of ages from these and other sites. We also report the discovery of an articulated Simosthenurus occidentalis skeleton at Mt Cripps, that represents only the second directly-dated extinct megafaunal taxon with a reliable age <50 ka cal BP from Tasmania. Our results suggest that C:N ratios measured on collagen or dentine are not an infallible guide to radiocarbon age reliability. We confirm previous reports of a temporal overlap between the megafaunal and archaeological records in Tasmania, but the presence of archaeological evidence and megafauna with the same age at the same site has not yet been demonstrated. At least two megafaunal taxa-the now-extinct Protemnodon anak and a giant Pleistocene form of the extant Macropus giganteus-were still present in Tasmania after 43 ka, when human crossing of the Bassian landbridge from mainland Australia first became sustainable. © 2012, Elsevier Ltd.
Morphological and genetic identification and isotopic study of the hair of a cave lion (Panthera spelaea Goldfuss, 1810) from the Malyi Anyui River (Chukotka, Russia)
(Elsevier, 2016-06-15) Chernova, OF; Kirillova, IV; Shapiro, B; Shidlovskiy, FK; Soares, AER; Levchenko, VA; Bertuch, F
We present the first detailed analyses of the preserved hair of a cave lion (Panthera spelaea Goldfuss, 1810). The hair was found in association with a skeleton that was recovered recently from perennially frozen Pleistocene sediments in the lower reaches of the Malyi Anyui River (Chukotka, Russia). We extract mitochondrial DNA from the hair to confirm its taxonomic identity, and perform detailed morphological analyses of the color and structure of the hair using light optical microscopy and SEM. In addition, we compare the cave lion hair to hair taken from the back and mane of an African lion. We find that cave lion hair is similar but not identical to that of the present-day lion. In addition to slightly different coloration, cave lions had a very thick and dense undercoat comprising closed and compressed wavy downy hair with a medulla. In addition, while the microstructures of the medulla and cortex of cave lion hair are similar in extinct and living lions, the cuticular scales of cave lion hair are higher than those in living lions, suggesting that cave lion hair is stronger and more robust than that of living lions. We hypothesize that the differences between cave lion hair and present-day lion hair may be due to adaptations of cave lions to the harsh climatic and environmental conditions of the Pleistocene Ice Ages. © 2016, Elsevier Ltd.
New radiocarbon measurements from Tasmanian Huon pine: closing the current gap in tree-ring based calibration data for the early Younger Dryas
(Eleventh International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, 2008-09) Hua, Q; Barbetti, M; Fink, D; Levchenko, VA; Zoppi, U; Smith, AM; Bertuch, F
The European absolute tree-ring chronologies have recently extended back to 12,594 cal BP [1], covering most of the Younger Dryas (YD). Radiocarbon data from these chronologies spanning the past 12,400 cal BP have been used to construct the younger part of the current internationally ratified calibration curve IntCal04 [2]. For the Late Glacial, radiocarbon data from a floating 1382-ring pine chronology are also available [3]. Here we present new high-precision, high-resolution radiocarbon measurements for the early YD chronozone derived from 4 sub-fossil logs of Huon pine with clearly defined annual tree rings. These logs were excavated from alluvial sediments along Stanley River in north-western Tasmania, Australia. A total of 137 samples, mostly decadal, were pretreated to alpha-cellulose, then converted to graphite and measured by AMS using the ANTARES facility at ANSTO [4], with a typical precision of 0.3-0.4%. A floating 617-ring Huon pine chronology has been constructed based on ring width and radiocarbon measurements. Our high-precision decadal 14C record, covering an age range from 10,350 to 10,760 14C years BP, has been linked to the European absolute tree-ring and floating Late Glacial Pine chronologies, bridging the current gap in the European tree-ring chronologies during the early YD and making a continuous and reliable atmospheric 14C record for the past 14,000 cal BP. Variations in atmospheric 14C during the YD recorded in tree rings and the possible mechanisms are also discussed. © The Authors
On the discovery of a cave lion from the Malyi Anyui River (Chukotka, Russia)
(Elsevier, 2015-06) Kirillova, IV; Tiunovb, AV; Levchenko, VA; Chernova, OF; Yudin, VG; Bertuch, F; Shidlovskiy, FK
An incomplete postcranial skeleton (67 elements) of a cave lion, a lower jaw and a bundle of fine yellowish hair were found by a local resident in 2008 and 2009 washed out from the perennially frozen Pleistocene sediments in the lower reaches of the Malyi Anyui River (western Chukotka). This is the first skeleton of a cave lion (Panthera spelaea Goldfuss) to be found in Russia. The bone sizes are similar to finds of cave lion bones known from N–E Russia, but larger than East Beringian and smaller than West European ones. The remains have been studied using a variety of methods, including morphology, morphometry, SEM-examination, AMS-dating, and isotopic study, which included examination of over 100 samples of various members of the mammoth faunal assemblage (mammoth, wooly rhinoceros, bison, horse, bear, etc.). The results showed that the northeastern Asian cave lion hunted mainly bison and horses, but not reindeer, unlike its Western Europe counterpart. Bone and claw sheath dating showed an unexpectedly old geochronological age of over 61,000 years (OZQ290, OZQ291), while the hair was dated 28,690 ± 130 (OZQ292), which makes its affinity with the same individual as the skeleton questionable. Further studies to investigate possible unremoved contamination and obtain more reliable date are planned. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Radiocarbon dating of linen from an Egyptian mummy
(GNS Science, 2011-03-24) Jacobsen, GE; Bertuch, F; Sowada, K; Palmer, T; Jenkinson, A
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many museums acquired Egyptian coffins containing mummies from private donors who bought them from dealers in Egypt. Owing to the unknown context of such acquisitions, it cannot be assumed that the mummified individual inside the coffin is the same person named on it. Radiocarbon dating is a key diagnostic test, within the framework of a multidisciplinary study, to help resolve this question. The dating of an adult mummy in the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney was therefore checked using 14C dating. For over 150 years, mummy NM R28.2 was identified as Padiashaikhet as per his coffin, dated to the 25th Dynasty, c. 725–700 BC. Radiocarbon results from samples of linen wrappings revealed that the mummy was an unknown individual from the Roman period, 68-129 cal AD. The mummification technique can now be understood within its correct historical context. Copyright (c) 2011 AMS12
Radiocarbon-dating adhesive and wooden residues from stone tools by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS): challenges and insights encountered in a case study
(Elsevier, 2015-09) Yates, AB; Smith, AM; Bertuch, F; Gehlen, B; Gramsch, B; Heinen, M; Joannes-Boyau, R; Scheffers, AM; Parr, J; Pawlik, A
In this study we present and assess a process to enhance archaeological residue AMS dating by focusing on contaminant confinement. The sequence of methods applied consists of: 1) optical residue and use-wear analyses, 2) experimental designs addressing cleaning treatments to mitigate impact of contaminants, 3) preparation and extraction of residues from (mostly) previously dated stone artefacts, and 4) establishing the elemental characteristics of residues by using SEM/EDX as a final step to avoid sample contamination during analyses. We found the alkaline surfactant Decon 90 is a useful solution for removal of skin scales and fabric fibre but has limited effect on graphite contamination introduced by pencil lead. Adhesive residues were not affected by Decon immersion, however, wooden residues from bog sites were partly dislodged. While the methodological sequence was in general successful and some artefact residues were dated within the anticipated age range, difficulties were encountered with other lithic residues. Some artefact residues attained AMS dates which appear to be affected by modern contaminants and other residue radiocarbon dates were seemingly affected by fossil shell derived from flint stone, plasticizers or from a fixative substance older than the fabrication and use of the artefact. One outcome from this study is that performing chemical residue identification earlier in the method sequence using non-destructive and non-contaminating methods would guide the choice of residue treatment and improve reliability of age determination. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd
Residue radiocarbon AMS dating review and preliminary sampling protocol suggestions
(Elsevier, 2015-09-01) Yates, AB; Smith, AM; Bertuch, F
Radiocarbon dating of microgram residues is a relatively new field in archaeological research and is currently limited by a lack of analytical protocols and instrumentation. Successful applications of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) have demonstrated the potential of the technique on small samples but also revealed challenges and problems, especially with contamination. This paper reviews the literature on AMS radiocarbon dated residues using microgram sized carbon samples. Samples from archaeological studies are targeted, including residues from lithics, ceramics and rock art. We examine data helpful to avoiding contamination and to facilitating residue radiocarbon dating. As a result we present a preliminary sampling protocol to assist archaeologists in preventing contaminant transfer from fieldwork onwards. © 2015, Elsevier Ltd.
Retention of hunter-gatherer economies among maritime foragers from Caleta Vitor, northern Chile, during the late holocene: evidence from stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis of skeletal remains
(Elsevier Science Ltd., 2013-05-01) Roberts, A; Donald Plate, F; Petruzzelli, B; Carter, C; Westaway, M; Santoro, CM; Swift, J; Maddern, T; Jacobsen, GE; Bertuch, F; Rothhammer, F
On the basis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human remains, this paper provides evidence for the retention of hunter-gatherer economies among coastal inhabitants in northern Chile during the late Holocene - at the same time that inland populations were adopting agricultural economies. Coastal diets from the Caleta Vitor region of the Atacama Desert were dominated by marine-based foods, predominantly from upper trophic levels. The focus on reliable marine food resources is interpreted as a risk minimisation strategy in this marginal arid environment. Although these coastal hunter-gatherers adopted other goods and traditions from agricultural populations, their participation in this larger interregional exchange network did not affect their basic subsistence economies. On the basis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human remains, this paper provides evidence for the retention of hunter-gatherer economies among coastal inhabitants in northern Chile during the late Holocene - at the same time that inland populations were adopting agricultural economies. Coastal diets from the Caleta Vitor region of the Atacama Desert were dominated by marine-based foods, predominantly from upper trophic levels. The focus on reliable marine food resources is interpreted as a risk minimisation strategy in this marginal arid environment. Although these coastal hunter-gatherers adopted other goods and traditions from agricultural populations, their participation in this larger interregional exchange network did not affect their basic subsistence economies. Associated new radiocarbon dates from the site are also discussed. Skeletal remains and artefacts associated with the Caleta Vitor shell middens generally originate from sites with dates ranging from c. 9000-476 BP. However, the human remains that are the subject of this research cover the time period c. 4000-476 BP.© 2013, Elsevier Ltd.
Skeletal arsenic of the pre-Columbian population of Caleta Vitor, northern Chile
(Elsevier B.V., 2015-06-01) Swift, J; Cupper, ML; Greig, A; Westaway, MC; Carter, C; Santoro, CM; Wood, R; Jacobsen, GE; Bertuch, F
Exposure to toxic arsenic has severe health consequences for past and present societies. This research resolves changes in a pre-Industrial population's exposure to the toxin within an arsenic-endemic area of the Atacama Desert of northern Chile over long timescales. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) trace element analysis of human bone and tooth samples from 21 burials at Caleta Vitor on the Pacific coast of northern Chile has established that the pre-Columbian inhabitants were exposed to elevated levels of arsenic where one third of the sample population had accumulated levels in their skeletal system indicative of chronic poisoning. Coupled with new accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon ages for the skeletal samples, spanning c. 3867 to 474 cal BP and encompassing all major cultural periods of the region, these results demonstrate the continual risk of arsenic poisoning over several millennia of occupation at one site. Numerous factors may have partially contributed to the population's inferred poisoning, due to the complex interaction of various environmental sources of arsenic and human behaviours. Increased exposure to arsenic could relate to climatic variability influencing sources of drinking water or anthropogenic activities such as mining and metallurgy or dietary changes associated with agriculture. Assessment of these potential sources of arsenic toxication, including evaluation of modern environmental data from the region, suggests contaminated drinking water was the most likely cause of arseniasis. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

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