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High-resolution radiocarbon dating of marine materials in archaeological contexts: radiocarbon marine reservoir variability between Anadara, Gafrarium, Batissa, Polymesoda spp. and Echinoidea at Caution Bay, Southern Coastal Papua New Guinea

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Abstract

The remains of shellfish dominate many coastal archaeological sites in the Pacific and provide a wealth of information about economy, culture, environment and climate. Shells are therefore the logical sample type to develop local and regional radiocarbon chronologies. The calibration of radiocarbon (14C) dates on marine animals is not straightforward, however, requiring an understanding of habitat and dietary preferences as well as detailed knowledge of local ocean conditions. The most complex situations occur where terrestrial influences impinge on the marine environment resulting in both the enrichment and depletion of 14C (Ulm Geoarchaeology 17(4):319–348, 2002; Petchey and Clark Quat Geochronol 6:539–549, 2011). A sampling protocol that combines a high-resolution excavation methodology, selection of short-lived samples identified to species level, and a tri-isotope approach using 14C, δ13C and δ18O, has given us the ability to identify 14C source variation that would otherwise have been obscured. Here, we present new research that details high-resolution mapping of marine 14C reservoir variation between Gafrarium tumidum, Gafrarium pectinatum, Anadara granosa, Anadara antiquata, Batissa violacea, Polymesoda erosa and Echinoidea from the Bogi 1 archaeological site, Caution Bay, southern coastal Papua New Guinea. These isotopes highlight specific dietary, habitat and behavioural variations that are key to obtaining chronological information from shell radiocarbon determinations.

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Notes

  1. Hardwaters occur where large amounts of bicarbonate ions, generated by seepage through calcareous strata, result in excessively old 14C ages.

  2. Morton (1988:110–111) differentiates juveniles as being ≤30 mm, while Gimin et al. (2005) put sexual maturity at 45 mm length.

  3. Analysis by Honkoop et al. (2008) showed that much of the organic material in seagrass areas originates from decayed seagrass and algae-derived products.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank: Thomas Samson for ethnographic information. Mr Sese Kevau, Mr Vagi Daure, Ms Daro Daroa for their expertise in local shellfish information. BD thanks the Australian Research Council for grant and QEII Fellowship DP0877782. SU is the recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (project number FT120100656).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Waikato Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3240, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Fiona Petchey

  2. Department of Anthropology, Archaeology and Sociology, School of Arts and Social Sciences, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia

    Sean Ulm & Helene Tomkins

  3. School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Bruno David, Ian J. McNiven, Nic Dolby, Thomas Richards & Cassandra Rowe

  4. Queensland Museum, PO Box 3300, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia

    Brit Asmussen

  5. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, MRC 108, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA

    Ken Aplin

  6. Anthropology, University of Papua New Guinea, PO Box 320, University PO, Port Moresby, NCD, Papua New Guinea

    Matthew Leavesley

  7. National Museum and Art Gallery of Papua New Guinea, PO Box 5560, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea

    Herman Mandui

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  1. Fiona Petchey
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Petchey, F., Ulm, S., David, B. et al. High-resolution radiocarbon dating of marine materials in archaeological contexts: radiocarbon marine reservoir variability between Anadara, Gafrarium, Batissa, Polymesoda spp. and Echinoidea at Caution Bay, Southern Coastal Papua New Guinea. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 5, 69–80 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-012-0108-1

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