New Zealand Journal of Archaeology Index  >  Vol 26 Petchey

 

NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY ISSN 0110~540X ABSTRACT

 

 

A Local Marine Reservoir Correction Value

(ΔR) for Watom Island, Papua New Guinea

 

Fiona Petchey1, Roger Green2, Martin Jones3 and Matthew Phelan4

 

ABSTRACT

Marine shell has several advantages for radiocarbon (14C) dating in the Pacific. It

is ubiquitous in archaeological sites, is easy to identify to the species level, and

can often be related directly to human activity. Consequently, shells are one of the

most commonly dated 14C sample types within this region. A suitable local marine

correction (ΔR) needs to be applied to shell determinations, however, in order to

correct for surface ocean 14C variability and obtain calendar ages. This can be achieved

using carefully selected charcoal and shell samples recovered from archaeological

sites. In this paper, new and extant charcoal and shell 14C determinations from the

Kainapirina (SAC) locality on Watom Island in Papua New Guinea have been used to

calculate a ΔR of 261 ± 101 14C years. Because of complexities with the stratigraphy

of SAC, we have followed a methodology outlined in Nicholls and Jones (2001)

and Jones et al. (in press) that allows some uncertainty in the dated events to be

incorporated in the calculation. This ΔR value is in accord with our expectations

for the Papua New Guinea region.

 

Keywords: WATOM, RADIOCARBON, MARINE RESERVOIR, DATELAB.

 

1 Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New

Zealand

2 Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New

Zealand

3 Department of Anthropology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

4 Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, PO Box 515, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia

 

 

Ó Copyright New Zealand Archaeological Association.

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