New Radiocarbon Dates and the Maya Correlation Problem

Satterthwaite, Linton; Ralph, Elizabeth

doi:10.2307/276197

Cited by 33 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The 600-or 700-yr-long Classic Period of the lowland Maya is replete with inscriptions in the Maya system, providing a Maya dating framework for construction, pottery, etc. Most lines of evidence, including radiocarbon tests on Maya-dated wood (Satterthwaite and Ralph, 1960; The samples discussed here are presented in accord with their estimated sources of deposition, with the exception of No. 2 which appears according to ceramic position.…”

Section: Grand Con Gloue Wrecksupporting

confidence: 50%

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University of Pennsylvania Radiocarbon Dates IX

1966

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This date list includes those series of samples completed in this laboratory as of November, 1965. The B.P. ages are based upon A.D. 1950, and are calculated with a half-life value of 5568 yr. Errors quoted are those derived from measurements of sample, background, and modern-age calibration, and do not include any half-life error. All samples were pretreated with 3N HCl, and some, where noted, received additional pretreatment with 2% NaOH for the removal of possible humic contaminants.

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Section: Grand Con Gloue Wrecksupporting

confidence: 50%

“…As shown by Satterthwaite and Ralph (1960), this phrase indicates the growth-time interval between the "death" of the organic source of the sample and the "death" of the or-University of Pennsylvania Radiocarbon Dates IX 373 ganic matrix of the source (cf. also Coe and Stuckenrath, 1964, p. 18 .…”

Section: Grand Con Gloue Wreckmentioning

confidence: 99%

University of Pennsylvania Radiocarbon Dates IX

1966

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“…Based largely on the fit with radiocarbon dates, a single correlation, the Goodman-Martinez-Thompson or "11.16.0.0.0 Correlation" (14,15), was accepted as the most appropriate alignment of the ancient Maya hieroglyphic record with our modern-day calendar, finally allowing comparisons among sites and regions. This correlation positioned the Classic Maya Collapse at approximately A.D. 900.…”

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confidence: 99%

Geospatial revolution and remote sensing LiDAR in Mesoamerican archaeology

Chase¹,

Chase²,

Fisher

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

253

139

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The application of light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a laserbased remote-sensing technology that is capable of penetrating overlying vegetation and forest canopies, is generating a fundamental shift in Mesoamerican archaeology and has the potential to transform research in forested areas world-wide. Much as radiocarbon dating that half a century ago moved archaeology forward by grounding archaeological remains in time, LiDAR is proving to be a catalyst for an improved spatial understanding of the past. With LiDAR, ancient societies can be contextualized within a fully defined landscape. Interpretations about the scale and organization of densely forested sites no longer are constrained by sample size, as they were when mapping required laborious on-ground survey. The ability to articulate ancient landscapes fully permits a better understanding of the complexity of ancient Mesoamerican urbanism and also aids in modern conservation efforts. The importance of this geospatial innovation is demonstrated with newly acquired LiDAR data from the archaeological sites of Caracol, Cayo, Belize and Angamuco, Michoacán, Mexico. These data illustrate the potential of technology to act as a catalytic enabler of rapid transformational change in archaeological research and interpretation and also underscore the value of on-the-ground archaeological investigation in validating and contextualizing results.T ransformational changes are rare in archaeology and often are best recognized in hindsight (1). However, there are times when advances in technology are so far reaching that they serve as catalysts in transforming our understanding of both the past and the practice of archaeological research, thus triggering a scientific revolution as conceptualized by Thomas Kuhn (2). We believe that advances in the remote geospatial imaging of cultural landscapes, including ancient communities and their anthropogenic hinterlands, constitute such an archeological paradigm shift. Here we present newly acquired data from two recent archaeological projects in different parts of Mesoamerica showcasing the application of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology to ancient urban settlements. In both cases, the nearly 3D data are changing commonly held interpretations of societal development profoundly. The phenomenon described is not limited to archaeology; technical innovations have been noted as spawning advances in other areas of research, such as astrophysics (3). However, the magnitude of change enabled by the use of LiDAR technology is particularly apparent in the archaeology of Mesoamerica.Archaeological research revolves around temporal and spatial data; thus, advances in either parameter can be transformative. Histories of archaeology (1, 4) have noted the change in the discipline from an ancient antiquarian focus on objects to the current scientific enterprise. Great enablers of archaeological research have included various technological enhancements to spatial, temporal, and functional interpretations. Although many technical imp...

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“…These results were criticized on the basis that there were derived from wood samples from existing museum collections whose size had been reduced for transport and thus had lost their outside rings (Satterthwaite and Ralph 1960). The result of these initial results was the first intensive dating program undertaken by a 14 C laboratory in conjunction with an major archaeological excavation-in this case at Tikal from 1955-1970 by the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania.…”

Section: Mesoamericamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By this time, there were the beginnings of an understanding of calibration issues for 14 C values. Fortunately, early paired tree-ring/ 14 C data indicated a close correspondence between 14 C and solar time for the temporal period at issue (Satterthwaite and Ralph 1960;Ralph 1965). Most, but not all (e.g.…”

Section: Mesoamericamentioning

confidence: 99%

Six Decades of Radiocarbon Dating in New World Archaeology

Taylor

2009

Radiocarbon

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ABSTRACT. Radiocarbon ( 14 C) dating provided New World archaeological research with the first continent-wide common chronometric scale that transcended the mostly relative site-and region-specific chronological sequences that had been assembled during the preceding century of fieldwork. 14 C data continue to play a critical role in establishing a chronometric framework for the 5-century-long debate concerning the timing of the initial peopling of the New World. Other issues where 14 C results have been of particular importance include the origins and development of New World agriculture and determination of the relationship between the Western and Classic Maya long-count calendar. The introduction of a third-generation measurement technology of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) beginning in the late 1970s has provided a means of obtaining analyses on milligram and microgram amounts of carbon permitting more detailed critical approaches to increasing the accuracy of 14 C values on certain sample types-particularly human skeletal materials. It also provided a more effective means of allowing greater dating precision in situations where such data had an important bearing on the validity of inferences about the rates of cultural evolutionary change in New World societies.

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New Radiocarbon Dates and the Maya Correlation Problem

Cited by 33 publications

References 2 publications

University of Pennsylvania Radiocarbon Dates IX

University of Pennsylvania Radiocarbon Dates IX

Geospatial revolution and remote sensing LiDAR in Mesoamerican archaeology

Six Decades of Radiocarbon Dating in New World Archaeology

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