Radiocarbon chronology of the mammoth site at Niederweningen, Switzerland: Results from dating bones, teeth, wood, and peat

Abstract

The peat section at Niederweningen is a site of spectacular excavations of numerous bones of mammoth and other animals that was first recognized in the late 19th century. In 1987/1990, new excavations provided more peat material, which was radiocarbon dated to 33,000 14 C years BP and 42,000 14 C years BP. The first AMS radiocarbon ages of mammoth bones from 1890/1891 excavations placed the age between 33,000 14 C years BP and 35,000 14 C years BP. In this study, new results were obtained on bones, teeth, wood and peat from the layer that buried the mammoths. The ages confirm that the mammoths as well as the peat section, in which they were found, are older than 40,000 14 C years BP. In order to explain the discrepancy between the previous chronology and the new results, two preparation techniques were applied for the dating of bones. An organic fraction called ''collagen'' used to obtain the first radiocarbon ages was dated as well as gelatine prepared using the modified Longin method. The differences of up to 7000 years between ages obtained on collagen and gelatine fractions show contamination of the collagen fraction with modern carbon. The oldest age of 45,87071080 14 C years BP was obtained on base cleaned gelatine from mammoth bone. This age is close to an age of 45,43071020 14 C years BP obtained for the peat layer that buried the mammoths. r

Investigating climate at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), Poland, using oxygen isotopes

“…This therefore implies that the human groups which visited Kraków Spadzista c.24ka 14 C yr BP experienced a colder climate than that tolerated by occupants of the Russian Plain, despite the fact that the Russian sites were located further north than Kraków Spadzista, and the differences in relative temperature between the sites today. The results are also 0.5-1.0‰ lower than those of mammoths at Niederweningen, the site of a mass death event from Switzerland firmly correlated to a GI event c.45-50ka cal BP by climatic and dating evidence (Tütken et al, 2007;Hajdas et al, 2007). This difference also likely reflects geographic and chronological differences in climate between the two sites.…”

The mammoth site of Niederweningen, Switzerland

“…), sometimes associated with complete Picea cones and even some fragmentary bones. The ages of a Picea cone (44,52071080 14 C yr BP) and a wood piece (42,6207780 14 C yr BP) (Hajdas et al, 2007) from this upper peat are similar to the age of the upper part of the mammoth peat. It is possible that this upper peat documents a short and slightly younger peat growth.…”

“…The radiocarbon ages of the upper mammoth peat at Niederweningen (Hajdas et al, 2007) suggest correlation to the warm period of the Dansgaard-Oeschger Event 12 in the Greenland ice core record.…”

“…Since the available radiocarbon dating (AMS) results of bone and plant material from 1890 and 1987 varied between 33,000 and 42,000 14 C yr BP (see above, Schlu¨chter, 1994), a new effort was made. New measurements on bone, teeth and plant material from the mammoth site 2003 by Hajdas et al (2007) revealed an age of about 45,000 14 C yr BP for the upper part of the peat with the mammoth skeleton. Luminescence dating of the most complete section in the construction pit 2004 provided time control with an age of 80,000-70,000 yr for the sediments below the peat and of about 40,000 yr above the peat, thus in good agreement with the radiocarbon chronology (Preusser and Degering, 2007).…”

A Comparison of Bone Pretreatment Methods for AMS Dating of Samples >30,000 BP

“…They showed that in spite of careful cleaning of the ultrafilter, small amounts of contaminant young carbon remained, which probably came from glycerin; hence, they recommended caution in the use of the ultrafilter. In at least one example, dates of mammoth bone samples have been obtained without ultrafiltration, where the ages compare well with contemporary peat and wood (Hajdas et al 2007). …”