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Otolith-Based Chronology of Brazilian Shellmounds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2019

Carla Carvalho ,
Fabiana Oliveira ,
Kita Macario Open the ORCID record for Kita Macario [Opens in a new window] ,
Tania Lima ,
Ingrid Chanca ,
Eduardo Q Alves ,
Thayse Bertucci  and
Orangel Aguilera
Carla Carvalho*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Geoquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Outeiro São João Batista, Niterói, 24020-141, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Laboratório de Radiocarbono (LAC-UFF), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza, Niterói, 24210-346, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Fabiana Oliveira
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Radiocarbono (LAC-UFF), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza, Niterói, 24210-346, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Kita Macario
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Radiocarbono (LAC-UFF), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza, Niterói, 24210-346, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tania Lima
Affiliation:
Departamento de Antropologia, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, Rio de Janeiro, 20940-040, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ingrid Chanca
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Radiocarbono (LAC-UFF), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza, Niterói, 24210-346, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Eduardo Q Alves
Affiliation:
Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
Thayse Bertucci
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Laboratório de Paleoecologia e Mudanças Globais, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Campus do Gragoatá, Bloco M, Rua Alexandre Moura, Niterói, 24210-200, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Orangel Aguilera
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Laboratório de Paleoecologia e Mudanças Globais, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Campus do Gragoatá, Bloco M, Rua Alexandre Moura, Niterói, 24210-200, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

The radiocarbon (14C) chronology of hunter-fisher-gatherers’ archaeological settlements along the Brazilian coast is usually based on mollusk shells, charcoal from hearths, and eventually human bones. However, fish otoliths are found in several archaeological contexts and may represent a reliable option as a chronological record. In this work, we compare the 14C dates of whitemouth croakers (Micropogonias furnieri) otoliths with dates obtained from other materials (shell and charcoal), collected from shellmounds on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, with the aim of improving the accuracy in the 14C dating of Brazilian shellmounds, strengthening the comprehension of the native populations’ occupational trends and the coeval palaeoceanographic context. Based on x-ray diffraction results for archaeological otoliths, their geochemical composition indicates minimal diagenesis effect over time even under burial conditions in the studied sites. The comparison between otolith dates and dates obtained from other proxies revealed similar results but with decreased deviations in otolith dates in all of the studied sites.

Keywords

archaeologyBrazilfish otolithsradiocarbon AMS dating
Type
Research Article
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 61 , Issue 2 , April 2019 , pp. 415 - 433
Copyright
© 2018 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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References

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