Variability in the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect in Muscat (Sultanate of Oman) during the 4th millennium BC: reflection of taphonomy or environment?

Zazzo, Antoine; Muñoz, Olivia; Saliège, Jean-François; Moreau, C.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2012.01.043

Cited by 24 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…This variability was already noted by Zazzo et al (2012) based on the analysis of a subsample of three graves. A first approach is to consider the assemblage globally.…”

Section: Quantitative Estimate Of Marine Contribution To Dietsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…A first approach is to consider the assemblage globally. This MRE is lower but not statistically different from the MRE of 645 6 40 14 C yrs calculated based on charcoals and shells from two graves only (Zazzo et al, 2012). This variability was already noted by Zazzo et al (2012) based on the analysis of a subsample of three graves.…”

Section: Quantitative Estimate Of Marine Contribution To Dietcontrasting

confidence: 40%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Diet and mobility in a late neolithic population of coastal oman inferred from radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analysis

Zazzo

Muñoz

Saliège

2013

American J Phys Anthropol

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In Oman, the presence of highly productive marine environments, coupled with relatively limited land resources, have led to intense exploitation of coastal resources, but the question of the seasonality of occupation of coastal sites remains open. Our aim is to evaluate the contribution of marine resources to the diet of the Neolithic population of Ra's al-Hamra 5 (RH-5) to shed new light on its mobility, using stable isotopes and radiocarbon ((14)C) dating as dietary tracers. Charcoal, shell, human bone and enamel apatite from eight contemporary graves were sampled. Graves are thought to provide the best chance to obtain marine and terrestrial remains that were contemporary with the human remains in order to calculate the marine reservoir effect (MRE) for this period. Inter-individual variation in human bone apatite δ(13)C value is small, suggesting a homogenous diet. Bone apatite (14)C ages are very close to the shell ages while enamel is significantly younger and plots near the charcoal ages. Older enamel ages were obtained when a stronger acetic treatment was used, demonstrating that the young ages are due to diagenetic alteration rather than a diachronic change in diet and that only bone apatite retained in vivo dietary signals. Bone ages indicate a heavy reliance on marine resources and it is therefore unlikely that the individuals analyzed here were leaving the coast seasonally, although mobility along the coast cannot be excluded.

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“…This variability was already noted by Zazzo et al (2012) based on the analysis of a subsample of three graves. A first approach is to consider the assemblage globally.…”

Section: Quantitative Estimate Of Marine Contribution To Dietsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Quantitative Estimate Of Marine Contribution To Dietcontrasting

confidence: 40%

Diet and mobility in a late neolithic population of coastal oman inferred from radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analysis

Zazzo

Muñoz

Saliège

2013

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…: 31; Taylor ; Zazzo et al . ). The origin of the carbon used thus becomes of the utmost importance.…”

Section: Issues With Old Radiocarbon Datesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Zazzo et al . (: 6), while investigating archaeological burials in Oman, found discrepancies of between 180 and 240 radiocarbon years in mangrove wood charcoal 14 C dating. However, they also show that mangroves ( Avecennia sp.)…”

Section: Issues With Old Radiocarbon Datesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Re‐evaluating the timing of the Indonesian trepang industry in north‐west Arnhem Land: chronological investigations at Malara (Anuru Bay A)

Wesley

O’Connor

Fenner

2016

Archaeology in Oceania

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“…Other coastal environments show high reservoir ages as well: In a Swedish isostatically isolated basin, reservoir effects as high as R = 1,100 to 700 14 C years were measured on clay gyttja that was deposited during the most saline coastal Litorina phase [96]. On the coast of Oman, a reservoir age of 645±40 14 C years was measured on samples from graves from the 4th millennium BC [97].…”

Section: Sediment Core Samples From the Limfjordmentioning

confidence: 99%

The freshwater reservoir effect in radiocarbon dating

2013

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The freshwater reservoir effect can result in anomalously old radiocarbon ages of samples from lakes and rivers. This includes the bones of people whose subsistence was based on freshwater fish, and pottery in which fish was cooked. Water rich in dissolved ancient calcium carbonates, commonly known as hard water, is the most common reason for the freshwater reservoir effect. It is therefore also called hardwater effect. Although it has been known for more than 60 years, it is still less well-recognized by archaeologists than the marine reservoir effect. The aim of this study is to examine the order of magnitude and degree of variability of the freshwater reservoir effect over short and long timescales. Radiocarbon dating of recent water samples, aquatic plants, and animals, shows that age differences of up to 2000 14 C years can occur within one river. The freshwater reservoir effect has also implications for radiocarbon dating of Mesolithic pottery from inland sites of the Ertebølle culture in Northern Germany. The surprisingly old ages of the earliest pottery most probably are caused by a freshwater reservoir effect. In a sediment core from the Limfjord, northern Denmark, the impact of the freshwater reservoir effect on radiocarbon dating in an estuarine environment is examined. Here, freshwater influence causes reservoir ages to vary between 250 and 700 14 C years during the period 5400 BC -AD 700. The examples in this study show clearly that the freshwater reservoir effect can seriously corrupt radiocarbon dating at inland sites. Reservoir effects should therefore be considered whenever food remains on pottery or the bones of omnivores are radiocarbon dated -irrespective of the site's distance to the coast.

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Variability in the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect in Muscat (Sultanate of Oman) during the 4th millennium BC: reflection of taphonomy or environment?

Cited by 24 publications

References 49 publications

Diet and mobility in a late neolithic population of coastal oman inferred from radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analysis

Diet and mobility in a late neolithic population of coastal oman inferred from radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analysis

Re‐evaluating the timing of the Indonesian trepang industry in north‐west Arnhem Land: chronological investigations at Malara (Anuru Bay A)

The freshwater reservoir effect in radiocarbon dating

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