¹⁴C AMS Dating the Transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic in South China

Abstract

To study the transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic period and its duration, samples of charcoal, bone, flowstone and shells excavated from Bailiandong and Miaoyan caves, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, South China were dated using the Peking University AMS facility and liquid scintillation counter. The remains excavated from these sites show typical characteristics of the transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic. Radiocarbon dating results show a rapid transition from ca. 20 to 10 ka bp.

Chronology of the Beginning of Pottery Manufacture in East Asia

“…14 C ages of 15,220 ± 260 BP (BA94137b) and 15,120 ± 500 BP (BA94137a) were obtained for organic matter in the pottery from layer 5 of the Miaoyan site. Earlier, a 14 C age of 13,320 ± 270 BP (BA92034-1) was obtained for charcoal from layer 4M of this site (Yuan et al 1995;Wu and Zhao 2003). The underlying layer 5 was without pottery and dated to about 17,600 BP (Wu and Zhao 2003); this is consistent with the age of pottery-containing layers and potsherd organics.…”

Radiocarbon dating of charcoal and bone collagen associated with early pottery at Yuchanyan Cave, Hunan Province, China

“…Previous studies of these sites have produced dates for this pottery ranging ca. 16,000-10,000 cal BP (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15), indicating that the world's first pottery was produced in East Asia. Many of these studies do not report a systematic analysis of the ages of the strata within the site, especially those containing the potsherds.…”

The Chronology of Pleistocene Modern Humans in China, Korea, and Japan

“…A 14 C date for layer 4 is 26,000 BP (Chen and Yuan 1988;Yuan et al 1995). Closer to the human fossil layer, a U-series date for layer 6 is ~28,000 yr (Yuan et al 1995). A U-series date of flowstone above the human fossil layer is ~160,000 yr, the minimum age for the human fossils (Shen et al 2001b; Table 3).…”

“…Ten stratigraphic layers have been identified in the west section, with layers 4-7 of Late Pleistocene age, containing some extinct species of the Ailuropoda-Stegodon fauna (Zhou 1994a,b). A 14 C date for layer 4 is 26,000 BP (Chen and Yuan 1988;Yuan et al 1995). Closer to the human fossil layer, a U-series date for layer 6 is ~28,000 yr (Yuan et al 1995).…”