RADIOCARBON DATING OF ANCIENT POTTERY


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Abstract

The radiocarbon dating of ancient ceramics is an important aspect of investigations both the radiocarbon analysis and the archaeology. The time of a making and using of pottery corresponds directly with the time of the ancient people existing. In spite on that fact that the pottery radiocarbon dating has many problems because of different sources of carbon inside pottery, there is the possibility for correct radiocarbon dating with using both the AMS technique and the conventional technique. The main problem of pottery radiocarbon dating is how to separate intrinsic pottery carbon from older “geological” carbon and younger carbon absorbed by pottery pores during burial. The examination of basic stages of pottery making and using gives the possibility to assess the main sources of carbon entrance to a ceramic vessel. The compositional analysis of clay and temper that had been used for pottery making should be considered. The method of the temperature control during combustion should be applied in process of the radiocarbon dating. It is very important to supply the careful chemical pretreatment of ceramics with aim to remove the older and younger contaminations. The comparison of pottery dates obtained with the relative dating according to pottery typology should use for control. The other problem of the radiocarbon dating of pottery is the reservoir effect if the freshwater and the seawater fish or seafood were used in a cooking process. If the clay has the high carbonate concentration or shells inside pot-sherds the determination of d 13C should be done after carbonate removing. The careful chemical pretreatment of ceramics must guarantee the removing of humic acids forming after burial of pot-sherds and as well as in result of food cooking. The examination of d 13C should be provided for organics from pot-sherds. The correction of radiocarbon age can be realized. If it is possible the total content of carbon should determine in pot-sherds as well. In article the

About the authors

Marianna Alexeevna Kulkova

Herzen State Pedagogical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: kulkova@mail.ru

candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences, associate professor of the Department of Geology and geoecology

191186, Russia, St.Petersburg, nab. Moyki, 48/12

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