Suitability of Ostrich Eggshell for Radiocarbon Dating

John C Vogel; Ebbie Visser; Annemarie Fuls

doi:10.1017/S0033822200031714

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Ostrich eggshell from archaeological sites remains largely free of more recent carbon contamination and as such is suitable material for radiocarbon dating. The carbonate fraction of the shell does, however, display an initial deficit in 14C, which causes the ages to appear 180 ± 120 yr too old.

References

RERERENCES

Freundlich, JC, Kuper, R, Breunig, P, Bertram, H-G. 1988. Radiocarbon dating of ostrich eggshells. Radiocarbon 31(3):1030–4.Google Scholar

Horowitz, A, Sampson, CG, Scott, L, Vogel, JC. 1978. Analysis of the Voigtspost site, O.F.S. South African Archaeological Bulletin 33:152–9.Google Scholar

McLachlan, GR, Liversidge, R. 1970. Roberts Birds of South Africa. 3rd edition. Cape Town: Trustees of the Bird Book Fund.Google Scholar

Miller, GH, Beaumont, PB, Jull, AJT, Johnson, B. 1992. Pleistocene geochronology and palaeothermometry from protein diagenesis in ostrich eggshells: implications for the evolution of modern humans. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London B337: 98–102.Google Scholar

Crossref Citations

This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by Crossref.

Bird, M.I. Turney, C.S.M. Fifield, L.K. Smith, M.A. Miller, G.H. Roberts, R.G. and Magee, J.W. 2003. Radiocarbon dating of organic- and carbonate-carbon in Genyornis and Dromaius eggshell using stepped combustion and stepped acidification. Quaternary Science Reviews, Vol. 22, Issue. 15-17, p. 1805.

Kandel, Andrew W. and Conard, Nicholas J. 2005. Production sequences of ostrich eggshell beads and settlement dynamics in the Geelbek Dunes of the Western Cape, South Africa. Journal of Archaeological Science, Vol. 32, Issue. 12, p. 1711.

Orton, Jayson 2008. Later Stone Age ostrich eggshell bead manufacture in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Journal of Archaeological Science, Vol. 35, Issue. 7, p. 1765.

Janz, Lisa Elston, Robert G. and Burr, George S. 2009. Dating North Asian surface assemblages with ostrich eggshell: implications for palaeoecology and extirpation. Journal of Archaeological Science, Vol. 36, Issue. 9, p. 1982.

Sadr, Karim 2009. Marine shell dates and surface lithic assemblages on the west coast of South Africa. Journal of Archaeological Science, Vol. 36, Issue. 12, p. 2713.

Kurochkin, Evgeny N. Kuzmin, Yaroslav V. Antoshchenko-Olenev, Igor V. Zabelin, Vladimir I. Krivonogov, Sergey K. Nohrina, Tatiana I. Lbova, Ludmila V. Burr, G.S. and Cruz, Richard J. 2010. The timing of ostrich existence in Central Asia: AMS 14C age of eggshells from Mongolia and southern Siberia (a pilot study). Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Vol. 268, Issue. 7-8, p. 1091.

Dee, M.W. Rowland, J.M. Higham, T.F.G. Shortland, A.J. Brock, F. Harris, S.A. and Ramsey, C. Bronk 2012. Synchronising radiocarbon dating and the Egyptian historical chronology by improved sample selection. Antiquity, Vol. 86, Issue. 333, p. 868.

Wuttmann, Michel Briois, François Midant-Reynes, Béatrix and Dachy, Tiphaine 2012. Dating the End of the Neolithic in an Eastern Sahara Oasis: Modeling Absolute Chronology. Radiocarbon, Vol. 54, Issue. 3-4, p. 305.

Wengrow, David Dee, Michael Foster, Sarah Stevenson, Alice and Ramsey, Christopher Bronk 2014. Cultural convergence in the Neolithic of the Nile Valley: a prehistoric perspective on Egypt's place in Africa. Antiquity, Vol. 88, Issue. 339, p. 95.

Miller, Jennifer Midori and Willoughby, Pamela Rae 2014. Radiometrically dated ostrich eggshell beads from the Middle and Later Stone Age of Magubike Rockshelter, southern Tanzania. Journal of Human Evolution, Vol. 74, Issue. , p. 118.

Tryon, Christian A. Crevecoeur, Isabelle Faith, J. Tyler Ekshtain, Ravid Nivens, Joelle Patterson, David Mbua, Emma N. and Spoor, Fred 2015. Late Pleistocene age and archaeological context for the hominin calvaria from GvJm-22 (Lukenya Hill, Kenya). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 112, Issue. 9, p. 2682.

Janz, Lisa Feathers, James K. and Burr, George S. 2015. Dating surface assemblages using pottery and eggshell: assessing radiocarbon and luminescence techniques in Northeast Asia. Journal of Archaeological Science, Vol. 57, Issue. , p. 119.

Dewar, Genevieve and Stewart, Brian A. 2016. Africa from MIS 6-2. p. 195.

Falconer, Steven E and Fall, Patricia L 2016. A Radiocarbon Sequence from Tell Abu en-Ni‘aj, Jordan and its Implications for Early Bronze IV Chronology in the Southern Levant. Radiocarbon, Vol. 58, Issue. 3, p. 615.

Mulazzani, Simone Belhouchet, Lotfi Salanova, Laure Aouadi, Nabiha Dridi, Yosra Eddargach, Wassel Morales, Jacob Tombret, Olivier Zazzo, Antoine and Zoughlami, Jamel 2016. The emergence of the Neolithic in North Africa: A new model for the Eastern Maghreb. Quaternary International, Vol. 410, Issue. , p. 123.

Wright, David K. 2017. Accuracy vs. Precision: Understanding Potential Errors from Radiocarbon Dating on African Landscapes. African Archaeological Review, Vol. 34, Issue. 3, p. 303.

Dewar, Genevieve and Stewart, Brian A. 2017. Early Maritime Desert Dwellers in Namaqualand, South Africa: A Holocene Perspective on Pleistocene Peopling. The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, Vol. 12, Issue. 1, p. 44.

Tryon, Christian A. Lewis, Jason E. Ranhorn, Kathryn L. Kwekason, Amandus Alex, Bridget Laird, Myra F. Marean, Curtis W. Niespolo, Elizabeth Nivens, Joelle Mabulla, Audax Z. P. and Petraglia, Michael D. 2018. Middle and Later Stone Age chronology of Kisese II rockshelter (UNESCO World Heritage Kondoa Rock-Art Sites), Tanzania. PLOS ONE, Vol. 13, Issue. 2, p. e0192029.

Finkelstein, Israel Adams, Matthew J. Dunseth, Zachary C. and Shahack-Gross, Ruth 2018. The Archaeology and History of the Negev and Neighbouring Areas in the Third Millennium BCE: A New Paradigm. Tel Aviv, Vol. 45, Issue. 1, p. 63.

Jones, Mica B. Brandt, Steven A. and Marshall, Fiona 2018. Hunter-gatherer reliance on inselbergs, big game, and dwarf antelope at the Rifle Range Site, Buur Hakaba, southern Somalia ∼20,000−5,000 BP. Quaternary International, Vol. 471, Issue. , p. 55.

Download full list

Article contents

Suitability of Ostrich Eggshell for Radiocarbon Dating

Abstract

References

RERERENCES

Save article to Kindle

Save article to Dropbox

Save article to Google Drive

Reply to: Submit a response

Your details

You have entered the maximum number of contributors

Conflicting interests