Radiocarbon reservoir effects in human bone collagen from northern Iceland

Ascough, Philippa; Church, Mike J.; Dunbar, Elaine; Gestsdóttir, Hildur; McGovern, Thomas H.; Dugmore, Andrew; Friðriksson, Adolf; Edwards, Kevin J.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2012.02.012

Cited by 38 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…The site represents the first archaeological evidence for Mesolithic human occupation in the Western Isles (Gregory et al 2005) and the samples for this project were taken from the latest Mesolithic layer, immediately under the machair (Bishop et al 2010). The sites of Tràigh na Beirigh 1 & 2 consist of two open-air Mesolithic shell middens, again overlain by machair (Church et al 2012;Bishop et al 2013). The samples for this project (TNB1-1, TNB2-5) were taken from the main body of the shell middens at both sites.…”

Section: Sample Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects for the Mesolithic and Medieval Periods in the Western Isles of Scotland

Ascough

Church

2016

Radiocarbon

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ABSTRACT. This article presents new values for the Scottish marine radiocarbon reservoir effect (MRE) during the Mesolithic at consistent with an existing data set of 37 mid-to late Holocene assessments for Scottish waters, indicating stable ocean conditions. We compare the intercept and probability density function (PDF) methods for assessing ΔR. The ΔR values are indistinguishable, but confidence intervals are slightly larger with the PDF method. We therefore apply this more conservative method to calculate ΔR. The MRE values presented fill important gaps in understanding Scottish marine 14 C dynamics, providing confidence when calibrating material from critical periods in Scotland's prehistory, particularly the Mesolithic, when the use of marine resources by coastal populations was high.

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Section: Sample Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects for the Mesolithic and Medieval Periods in the Western Isles of Scotland

Ascough

Church

2016

Radiocarbon

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“…Sub-samples (3 mL) of CO 2 were converted to graphite according to the method of Slota et al (1987) and measured on a NEC 250 kV single-stage accelerator mass spectrometry (SSAMS) (Naysmith et al, 2010). A further subsample of CO 2 was taken for d 13 C measurement by isotope ratio mass spectrometry using a VG SIRA 11 (Ascough et al, 2012). Results were converted from AMS fraction modern values to specific activity in Becquerel's per kilogram of carbon (Bq kg À1 C) using the regime described for enhanced 14 C activities in Mook and van der Plicht (1999).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ( 14 C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments

Tierney

Muir

MacKinnon

et al. 2016

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of England. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon ((14)C) which is disposed of in various forms including highly soluble inorganic carbon within the low level liquid radioactive effluent, via pipelines into the Irish Sea. This (14)C is rapidly incorporated into the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reservoir and marine calcifying organisms, e.g. molluscs, readily utilise DIC for shell formation. This study investigated a number of sites located in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal zones. Results indicate (14)C enrichment above ambient background levels in shell material at least as far as Port Appin, 265 km north of Sellafield. Of the commonly found species (blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) and common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)), mussels were found to be the most highly enriched in (14)C due to the surface environment they inhabit and their feeding behaviour. Whole mussel shell activities appear to have been decreasing in response to reduced discharge activities since the early 2000s but in contrast, there is evidence of continuing enrichment of the carbonate sediment component due to in-situ shell erosion, as well as indications of particle transport of fine (14)C-enriched material close to Sellafield.

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“…Results from previous stable isotope studies of archaeological mammal, fish, and bird bone samples discovered at Hofstaðir revealed that δ 13 C values for terrestrial herbivores averaged -21.0 ± 1.1‰ while δ 15 N values averaged +1.3 ± 1.5‰ (Ascough et al 2007(Ascough et al , 2012McGovern et al 2007;Lucas 2009). Two freshwater fish samples gave δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of -12.5‰ and -12.2‰, and +5.7‰ and +6.8‰, respectively (Ascough et al 2010), and are in keeping with modern arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) samples (n = 116) from Lake Mývatn (δ 13 C: -14.3‰ to -7.9‰, mean -11.5 ± 1.7‰, and δ 15 N: +3.1‰ to +8.5‰, mean +5.8 ± 1.4‰) (P Ascough, personal communication).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Importantly, this effect extends to terrestrial organisms obtaining dietary carbon from within the affected reservoir. In Mývatnssveit, anomalously early calibrated age ranges were noted for human, pre-Christian burials that stratigraphically overlay the landnám tephra, yet predated AD 871, indicating the influence of a 14 C reservoir effect (McGovern et al 2006;Ascough et al 2007Ascough et al , 2012. It was possible that in some instances the observed age offset resulted entirely from the marine reservoir effect (MRE), which extends to ~500 14 C yr (Ascough et al 2007) for marine samples from Icelandic waters during the Viking to Medieval period.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilization of δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ³⁴S Analyses to Understand¹⁴C Dating Anomalies within a Late Viking Age Community in Northeast Iceland

et al. 2014

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Previous stable isotope studies of modern and archaeological faunal samples from sites around Lake Mývatn, within the Mývatnssveit region of northeast Iceland, revealed that an overlap existed between the δ 15 N ranges of terrestrial herbivores and freshwater fish, while freshwater biota displayed δ 13 C values that were comparable with marine resources. Therefore, within this specific ecosystem, the separation of terrestrial herbivores, freshwater fish, and marine fish as components of human diet is complicated when only δ 13 C and δ 15 N are measured. δ 34 S measurements carried out within a previous study on animal bones from Skútustaðir, an early Viking age settlement on the south side of Lake Mývatn, showed that a clear offset existed between animals deriving their dietary resources from terrestrial, freshwater, and marine reservoirs. The present study focuses on δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and δ 34 S analyses and radiocarbon dating of human bone collagen from remains excavated from a churchyard at Hofstaðir, 5 km west of Lake Mývatn. The results demonstrate that a wide range of δ 34 S values exist within individuals, a pattern that must be the result of consumption of varying proportions of terrestrial-, freshwater-, and marine-based resources. For that proportion of the population with 14 C ages that apparently predate the well-established first human settlement of Iceland (landnám) circa AD 871 ± 2, this has enabled us to explain the reason for these anomalously old ages in terms of marine and/or freshwater 14 C reservoir effects.

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Radiocarbon reservoir effects in human bone collagen from northern Iceland

Cited by 38 publications

References 67 publications

Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects for the Mesolithic and Medieval Periods in the Western Isles of Scotland

Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects for the Mesolithic and Medieval Periods in the Western Isles of Scotland

Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ( 14 C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments

Utilization of δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ³⁴S Analyses to Understand¹⁴C Dating Anomalies within a Late Viking Age Community in Northeast Iceland

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Radiocarbon reservoir effects in human bone collagen from northern Iceland

Cited by 38 publications

References 67 publications

Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects for the Mesolithic and Medieval Periods in the Western Isles of Scotland

Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects for the Mesolithic and Medieval Periods in the Western Isles of Scotland

Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ( 14 C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments

Utilization of δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S Analyses to Understand14C Dating Anomalies within a Late Viking Age Community in Northeast Iceland

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Utilization of δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ³⁴S Analyses to Understand¹⁴C Dating Anomalies within a Late Viking Age Community in Northeast Iceland