A Wiggle-Matched Date for the Copper Age Cemetery at Manerba Del Garda, Northern Italy

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The cemetery in the Riparo Valtenesi rockshelter at Manerba del Garda in northern Italy is well known for its wooden burial chambers. These chambers are some of the best sources of evidence for 3rd millennium BC collective burial in Europe. To further refine the absolute dating of burial activity at the site (beyond the approximate data provided by a previous series of routine radiocarbon measurements), a charred construction oak timber was sampled from Chamber 133 for 14 C dendro wiggle-matching (DWM). We present the results from the DWM analysis, the first of its kind for the Italian Copper Age as a whole, establishing a terminus post quem for construction of Chamber 133 ~2955-2872 cal BC.

Resolving Time Among Non-Stratified Short-Duration Contexts on a Radiocarbon Plateau: Possibilities and Challenges From the Ad 1480–1630 Example and Northeastern North America

“…It is worth highlighting that a cross-section of such a timber need not be preserved perfectly as one solid section, but merely be securely reconstruct-able, even if recovered (carefully and fully documented in situ and subsequently) in pieces, to still potentially permit useful dendrochronology and wiggle-matching (compare e.g. Barfield et al 2010). Even the relevance of one poorly preserved post fragment from the Warminster site should redirect attention to all and any wood-charcoal samples with multi-decade plus ring counts that can be securely associated with such site contexts (from houses, palisades, etc.).…”

“…Even a few decades or more could enable useful radiocarbon wiggle-match dating which could offer key dating potential, as exploited in a range of other areas and periods (e.g. Bayliss and Tyers 2004;Galimberti et al 2004;Barfield et al 2010;Quarta et al 2010;Manning et al 2016;Hogg et al 2017;Turkon et al 2018).…”

Communicating over Space and Time in the World of the Iceman

“…Radiocarbon dates point to a relatively short period of mortuary activity at the site, spanning just a few centuries (Barfield et al 2010). A group of rectangular burial chambers was constructed here, perhaps one after the other, with oak plank walls and floors of stone pebbles or slabs.…”