Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T08:13:16.540Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Nondestructive Radiocarbon Dating: Naturally Mummified Infant Bundle from SW Texas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Karen L. Steelman ,
Marvin W. Rowe ,
Solveig A. Turpin ,
Tom Guilderson  and
Laura Nightengale
Karen L. Steelman
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, P.O. Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842
Marvin W. Rowe
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, P.O. Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842
Solveig A. Turpin
Affiliation:
Institute of Latin American Studies, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712
Tom Guilderson
Affiliation:
Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550
Laura Nightengale
Affiliation:
Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas, 1 University Station R7500, Austin, Texas 78712-0714
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Plasma oxidation was used to obtain radiocarbon dates on six different materials from a naturally mummified baby bundle from the Lower Pecos River region of southwest Texas. This bundle was selected because it was thought to represent a single event and would illustrate the accuracy and precision of the plasma oxidation method. Five of the materials were clearly components of the original bundle with 13 dates combined to yield a weighted average of 2135 ±11 B.P. Six dates from a wooden stick of Desert Ash averaged 939 ± 14 B.P, indicating that this artifact was not part of the original burial. Plasma oxidation is shown to be a virtually nondestructive alternative to combustion. Because only sub-milligram amounts of material are removed from an artifact over its exposed surface, no visible change in fragile materials has been observed, even under magnification. The method is best applied when natural organic contamination is unlikely and serious consideration of this issue is needed in all cases. If organic contamination is present, it will have to be removed before plasma oxidation to obtain accurate radiocarbon dates.

Resumen

Resumen

La oxidación de plasma, una alternativa no destructiva a la combustión, se usó para obtener muestras de radiocarbono de seis materiales distintos de un envoltorio de bebé naturalmente momificado de la región del bajo Río Pecos del suroeste de Texas. Este bulto se eligió porque representa un caso único e ilustra la exactitud y precision del método de oxidación de plasma. Cinco tipos de materiales que eran claramente componentes del bulto dieron 13 fechas que se combinaron para obtener un promedio con un valor asignado de 2135 ±11 A.P, seis muestras de un palillo de madera proveniente de Desert Ash promediaron 939 ± 14 A.P., mostrando que este artefacto no era parte del entierro original. La oxidación de plasma promete ser un método no destructivo para obtener fechas de radiocarbono de artefactos orgánicos perecederos, ya que solamente se requiere remover cantidades menores a un miligramo de la superficie expuesta de un artefacto, además de que ningún cambio visible se observó en los materiales frágiles después de la oxidación de plasma, aún bajo ampliación. El método se aplica mejor cuando no existe la posibilidad de contaminación orgánica, este factor necesita ser seriamente considerado en todos los casos, ya que si hay contaminación orgánica ésta tendría que ser removida antes de la oxidación de plasma para obtener fechas de radiocarbono exactas.

Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 69 , Issue 4 , October 2004 , pp. 741 - 750
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References Cited

Andrews, R. L., and Adovasio, J. M. 1980 Perishable Industries from Hinds Cave, Val Verde County, Texas. Ethnology Monograph 5. Department of Anthropology, The University of Pittsburgh.Google Scholar
ArmitageRuth A., , Brady, James E., Cobb, Allan, John, R. Southon, and Rowe, Marvin W. 2001 Mass Spectrometric Radiocarbon Dates from Three Rock Paintings of Known Age. American Antiquity 66 : 471–480. ’Google Scholar
Banks, Kimball, and Rutenberg, Gary 1982 A Childhood Bundle Burial from Val Verde County, Texas. Texas Archaeological Foundation, Dallas.Google Scholar
Bernent, Leland C., and Turpin, Solveig A. 1987 A Folsom Point from Hinds Cave, Val Verde County, Texas. Archeology Series 1. Texas Archeological Survey, University of Texas at Austin.Google Scholar
Butler, Charles T. 1948 A West Texas Rock Shelter. M. A. thesis. Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin. Chaffee, Scott D., Marian Hyman, and Marvin W. Rowe 1994 Radiocarbon Dating of Rock Paintings. In New Light on Old Art : Recent Advances in Hunter-Gatherer Rock Art, edited by S. Whitley, David and Loendorf, Lawrence L., pp. 9–12. Institute of Archaeology Monograph 36. University of California, Berkeley/Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Dering, James P. 1979 Pollen and Plant Macrofossil Vegetation Record Recovered from Hinds Cave, Val Verde County, Texas. Unpublished M. A. thesis, Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station.Google Scholar
Hedges, Robert E. M., Ramsey, Christopher B., van Klinken, G. J., Pettitt, P. B., Nielsen-Marsh, Christina, Etchegoyen, Alberto, Fernandez Niello, J. O., Boschin, M. T., and Llamazares, A. M. 1998 Methodological Issues in the l4C Dating of Rock Paintings. Radiocarbon 40 : 35–44.Google Scholar
Lord, Kenneth 1984 The Zooarcheology of Hinds Cave (41VV456). Ph. D. dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin.Google Scholar
Martin, George C. 1933 An Archeological Exploration of Shumla Caves. Witte Memorial Museum Bulletin 3, San Antonio.Google Scholar
McGregor, Roberta 1992 Prehistoric Basketry of the Lower Pecos, Texas. Monographs in World Archaeology 6, Prehistory Press, Madison, Wisconsin.Google Scholar
Pearce, J. E., and Jackson, A. T. 1933 A Prehistoric Rock Shelter in Val Verde County, Texas. Anthropological Papers 1(3), Bureau of Research in the Social Sciences Study No. 6, The University of Texas Bulletin No. 3327, Austin.Google Scholar
Ramsey, Christopher Bronk 2000 Ox Cal Program v3. 5. University of Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit. Available at www.rlaha.ox.ac.uk/oxcal/oxcal.htm.Google Scholar
Rowe, Marvin W. 2001 Dating by AMS Radiocarbon Analysis. In Handbook of Rock Art Research, edited by S. Whitley, David, pp. 139–166. Alta Mira Press, Walnut Creek, California.Google Scholar
Rowe, Marvin W., and Steelman, Karen L. 2003 Dating Rock Art : An Imperative Need for Independent Verification. Mammoth Trumpet 18 : 4–7, 14–15.Google Scholar
Russ, Jon, Hyman, Marian, Harry, J. Shafer, and Rowe, Marvin W. 1990 Radiocarbon Dating of Prehistoric Rock Paintings by Selective Oxidation of Organic Carbon. Nature 348 : 710–711.Google Scholar
Russ, Jon, Hyman, Marian, and Rowe, Marvin W. 1992 Direct Radiocarbon Dating of Rock Art. Radiocarbon 34 : 867–872.Google Scholar
Shafer, Harry J. 1986 Ancient Texans. Texas Monthly Press, Austin.Google Scholar
Shafer, Harry J., and Bryant, Vaughn M. 1977 Archeological and Botanical Studies at Hinds Cave, Val Verde County, Texas. Annual Report to the National Science Foundation. Texas A&M University Anthropological Laboratory Special Series No. 1. College Station.Google Scholar
Steelman, Karen L., and Rowe, Marvin W. 2002 Potential for Virtually Nondestructive Radiocarbon and Stable Isotopic Analyses on Perishable Archaeological Artifacts. In Archaeological Chemistry : Materials, Methods, and Meaning, edited by A. Jakes, Kathryn, pp. 8–21. ACS Symposium Series 831. American Chemical Society, Washington, D. C. Google Scholar
Steelman, Karen L., and Rowe, Marvin W. 2003 Non-Destructive Plasma-Chemical Extraction of Carbon from Organic Artefacts. In C14 and Archaeology : Proceedings of the 4th Symposium, Oxford, 2002, edited by Higham, T., Ramsey, C. and Owen, C.. Oxbow Books, Oxford, England, in press.Google Scholar
Stock, Janet Ann 1983 The Diet of Hinds Cave (41VV456), Val Verde County, Texas : The Coprolite Evidence. Unpublished M. A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station.Google Scholar
Stuiver, Minze, Reimer, Paula J., Bard, Edouard, Warren Beck, J., Burr, G. S., Konrad, A. Hughen, Bernd, Kromer, Gerry, McCormac, Johannes van der, Plicht and Spurk, Marco 1998 INTCAL98 Radiocarbon Age Calibration 24000-0 cal BP. Radiocarbon 40 : 1041–1083.Google Scholar
Turpin, Solveig A. 1988 Seminole Sink : Excavation of a Vertical Shaft Tomb, Val Verde County, Texas. Plains Anthropologist 33 : 122–132.Google Scholar
Turpin, Solveig A. 1991 Time Out of Mind : The Radiocarbon Chronology of the Lower Pecos River Region. In Papers on Lower Pecos Prehistory, edited by A. Turpin, Solveig, pp. 1–51. Studies in Archeology 8. Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin.Google Scholar
TurpinSolveig A., , Henneberg, Maciej, and David, Riskind 1986 Late Archaic Mortuary Practices of the Lower Pecos River Region, Southwest Texas. Plains Anthropologist 31 : 295–315.Google Scholar
Williams-Dean, Glenna Joyce 1978 Ethnobotany and Cultural Ecology of Prehistoric Man in Southwest Texas. Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station.Google Scholar
Woltz, Ben vanDalsem Jr. 1998 The Use of Agave, Sotol, and Yucca at Hinds Cave, Val Verde County, Texas : Reconstructing Methods of Processing Through the Formation of Behavioral Chains. Unpublished M. A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station.Google Scholar