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The results of multidisciplinary investigations of the Quaternary sediments of the Dour valley, extending inland from Dover, Kent, are reported. The oldest sediments are unfossiliferous coarse gravels and silts of probable Late Devensian age. These are overlain by a complex series of peats and tufaceous sediments of early to mid-Holocene age. Pollen, mollusc, ostracod and vertebrate fossils (including the earliest British Holocene record of hazel dormouse) enable detailed reconstructions of the local environments and the vegetational and faunal history. A chronology is provided by a number of radiocarbon dates. The sequence is mantled by colluvial hillwash. The younger sediments have produced evidence for the presence of early humans (marine shells and flint artefacts) during the Bronze Age.

Despite the negative tone of Chapman's article, it is pointed out that there is substantial agreement between his opinions and those given in my previous publications on this subject. These areas of agreement are identified and distinguished from those which require further investigation or discussion. It is also pointed out that the apparent discrepancy between the small crater population on the Mercury intercrater terrain and the lunar plains may argue against a simultaneous late heavy bombardment. Suggested ways to resolve this discrepancy should be thoroughly evaluated. The primary need at this time is to identify further specific observational, experimental, or theoretical tests in order to advance beyond the stage of agreeing that the available evidence permits a simultaneous late heavy bombardment, to the more difficult task of determining whether or not it probably occurred.

We compare the geomorphology and soil of two ancient Maya wetland agricultural complexes in modern day Belize. This paper focuses on 3000 years of soil geomorphology and paleoecological change to determine the chronology of wetland formation and human use in this region. We also characterize Maya manipulation of the environment over time, especially considering times of ecological or climactic change in the late Holocene. This paper adds to our ongoing research in northwestern Belize, specifically within two recently explored wetland agricultural systems, Neuendorf and Sierra de Agua. Although they are 40 km from one another and in different watersheds, they have similar water chemistry and comparable soil, as well as comparable ancient Maya agricultural field and canal stratigraphy. The Neuendorf wetland fields and associated Maya house mounds and platforms are 1.5 km northeast of the well-studied Chan Cahal residential group/wetland agricultural fields. This ancient Maya settlement zone sits on a small limestone escarpment, about 7–24 m above sea level on the Belizean coastal plain. New trenches and vibracores from this wetland complex support our previous models of wetland formation and human use from the Late Preclassic to the end of the Classic. The Sierra de Agua wetland fields, 40 km to the southwest, are associated with a Maya urban center of the same name. This complex is part of the Irish Creek Wetlands within the New River watershed. In this system, the water table rose around 3000 years before present, which resulted in a different type of field building and agricultural modification, similar to the chinampas models of central Mexico. This new and ongoing research contributes new pollen records, soils and geoarchaeology to the growing regional picture of wetland use and change throughout Maya history.

[EN] Camí de Can Grau is one of the most important Neolithic necropolises of the “Pit Burials” horizon (North-East of the Iberian Peninsula. Late fifth–early fourth millennia cal BC), because of its large number of graves. However, the number of buried individuals and the type of grave goods of the site have some peculiarities suggesting that could be one of the last manifestations of this horizon. For proving that, a radiocarbon dating programme and some statistical analysis were carried out so as to determine its chronology. The results are discussed regarding the duration of the necropolis, the degree of contemporaneity between graves and grave goods and the number of buried individuals. Moreover, chronological relationships with other similar contexts of the same horizon and located in other regions are presented. This study goes beyond a purely local research, as it proposes a method for addressing the chronology of funerary contexts., [FR] Camí de Can Grau est l’une des nécropoles néolithiques les plus importantes de l’horizon des « Sépulcres de Fossa » (Nord-Est de la péninsule Ibérique, fin du Ve–début du IVe millénaire cal BC), en raison du nombre élevé de sépultures qui la composent. Cependant, le nombre d’individus enterrés et le type des mobiliers d’accompagnement présentent certaines particularités, qui suggèrent qu’il pourrait s’agir de l’une des dernières manifestations de cet horizon. Pour le démontrer, un programme de datations radiocarbone et d’analyses statistiques a été mis en place afin de déterminer la chronologie du site. Les résultats sont discutés en ce qui concerne la durée d’occupation de la nécropole, le degré de contemporanéité entre les tombes et les mobiliers d’accompagnement et le nombre d’individus inhumés. De plus, des relations chronologiques avec d’autres contextes similaires du même horizon, situés dans d’autres régions, sont présentées. Cette étude va au-delà d’une recherche purement locale, car elle propose une méthode pour aborder la chronologie des contextes funéraires., This study has been carried out thanks to collaboration between the Spanish National Research Council, the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the National Accelerator Center from Seville, in order to date Neolithic sites in the North-East of the Iberian Peninsula, in the framework of the research projects “Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del NE peninsular a través de sus prácticas funerarias” (HAR2011-23149) and “Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del Mediterráneo nordoccidental: construyendo respuesta desde los análisis paleoantropológicos y genéticos” (HAR2015-67323-C2-1-P and HAR2015-67323-C2-2-P) funded by the government of Spain. At the same time, a large part of this paper has been written in the framework of the doctoral thesis of one of the authors, Berta Morell, thanks to a pre-doctoral scholarship from the “Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recera” (FI-DGR2014) funded by the Catalan Government. It should finally be added that this research would never have been possible without the assistance of the Museum of Granollers, where the archaeological remains from Camí de Can Grau are deposited, and especially of its director, Mr. Josep Muntal. Finally, we would also like to thank Mr. Jordi Sala for his help in some formatting issues during the drafting of this paper.

The “Migratory Wave Hypothesis” suggests that early Pleistocene Homo dispersed from Africa together with a suite of other large mammals. Support for this hypothesis has been found primarily at the sites of ‘Ubeidiya, (Israel) and Venta Micena (Spain) where a high number of African taxa have been identified. This paper presents a critical evaluation of how we can identify these taxa and suggest criteria for the identification of taxa of African origin present in Eurasia during the early Pleistocene. Biogeography, taxonomy and chronology are used to develop criteria that have an effect on how we defined or identify African taxa. By critically evaluating the number of African taxa in Eurasia through the lens of these criteria, the number of African taxa may be reduced from a maximum of 30 to a minimum of six. The actual number may be either one of these two numbers, or any number in between, depending on how rigorous we are in applying the criteria. Thus, while the criteria presented in this paper have face value, they are not in any way more “correct” than other criteria, but are heuristic in presenting the difficulties in assigning an African origin to fauna found in early Pleistocene sites. This points to the need to be cautious when making inferences about the relationship between the dispersal of Homo with that of other African taxa.

This paper presents new data on the initial settlement of the southeastern region of South America, based on recent research conducted at the Tigre archaeological site (K87), located in the middle Uruguay River basin, near the Uruguayan border with Brazil and Argentina. The current archaeological excavations carried out in this open-air site confirmed that it is a multicomponent site. A new series of 20 radiocarbon dates refined the chronology of recurrent human occupations at this site during the late Pleistocene (13,260 cal BP), the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (12,920–11,750 cal BP), the early Holocene (11,300–9300 cal BP), and the late Holocene (1180 cal BP), demonstrating the strategic importance of this site during the prehistory of the region. In this paper, we describe the archaeological and stratigraphic contexts of the site, and analyze the artifact assemblage of the early components. Tigre points recovered from the archaeological excavations confirm that this is a Paleoamerican point design that circulated in the region between 12,000–11,100 cal BP. In addition, associated with these points, bifaces, fractured preforms and a type of asymmetric biface with a crescent/half moon shape were recovered. These “crescent artifacts” show a high standardization in form, size and knapping technique, which is described in this paper. Finally, we discuss the geographic distribution of the Tigre points, the blade technology present in the Uruguay River basin, the presence of prestige artifacts during the settlement, and the chronology of the “Umbu tradition” of southern Brazil in relation to the previous and recent data obtained in the Tigre site.

Subduction, isostatic rebound, and changes in global sea levels, combined with the last glaciation, have shaped the geography of the channels of Western Patagonia. Current archaeological research in this area includes some ten sites that allow us to characterize the occupation of this territory by marine hunter-gatherers. The studied archaeological sites also inform about the various geomorphological changes that the coastline has undergone. Archives dating back six thousand years ago and archaeological contexts yield new insights about the location, distribution, and position of the shoreline and its changes over time. We present a set of data, including new sites and AMS radiocarbon determinations, which supports the hypothesis that landforms have risen or subsided, and provide the bases for a working model in which archaeological ages can inform the chronology of changes in the region's coastal morphology. This paper suggest that human occupations between 6200 and 4400 cal BP recorded on high terraces of the Guiatecas Archipelago indicate higher local sea-levels, while the sites immediately on the waterfront are 2000 years younger. On the other hand, sites younger than 3300 cal BP on the modern coastline of the Chonos archipelago undergo permanent shaping, mainly due to local tectonics affecting vertical movement. Considering previously published and new data provided in this paper, we suggest preliminary uplift rates between 0.57 and 5.42 m/ka for the Guaitecas Archipelago, 0.31–1.48 m/ka for the northern sector of the Chonos Archipelago, and 0.85 m/ka in the central sector.

Irish forests and chases have been largely ignored by medievalists. Alongside parks and warrens, these were landscapes within which the elite sought to control not only access to hunting, but also to timber and woodland resources. The aim of this paper is to collate and review the evidence for forests and chases in Ireland in the period 1169–c.1399 and to examine the chronology of their creation, their ownership, uses and functions. The paper uses an interdisciplinary approach, combining historical, cartographic and archaeological evidence for past activity and provides an insight into these extensive medieval landscape features. It is demonstrated that in contrast to England, where forests and chases were important as elite hunting landscapes, in Ireland, they were most significant as sources of venison and timber and as a means of giving gifts and offices to high-ranking subjects.

The production of prestige objects is one of the hallmarks of the Early Bronze Age period in the southern Levant. The manufacture of notable numbers of highly invested basalt vessels during this time span forms an important aspect of the prestige good industries. The present paper deals with one of the facets of this prestige industry, the appearance of highly stylized basalt vessels bearing multiple handles. In this paper we identify patterns related to these invested vessels and discuss aspects of their chronology, distribution, typology, morphology, production, use and discard patterns. It is suggested that their significance was primarily bound with their value as special prestige objects and with the role they fulfilled in the public sphere during the Early Bronze Age period in the southern Levant.

Document dating is one of the most challenging areas in the field of questioned document examination. Determination of age of document becomes of prime importance in the cases involving the document having historical value, or the document in question bearing a date, that is disputed. The dating of documents can be done by focusing on different aspects of a document, i.e., dating through paper, through inks, through a sequence of intersecting lines, through handwriting, etc. This article furnishes a broad overview of the dating documents techniques and instruments based on the various methods and their possible applications and limitations. The document dating may be performed using either or a combination of static, dynamic and supplementary approaches. The static approach includes time tags, chemical composition, elemental profiling. The dynamic approach includes ink, paper and toner ageing. The supplementary methods comprise accelerated ageing techniques, chemometric approaches, constructing the chronology of documents, analyzing luminescent components, radiocarbon dating and nanotechnology-based approaches. This article brings to fore the utilization of the different facets of the document for dating purposes. It presents the summarized form of the different methods and techniques, including some less focused ones.

The archaeobotany, and in particular the chronology of the introduction and spread of agriculture in North Africa is slowly become better known. Nonetheless, there are many controversies, in particular the extent to which finds of cultivated crops are imports as opposed to indicative of true agriculture. It would therefore be helpful to establish the extent to which the evidence from linguistics reflects the archaeobotany of the region. The principle language of North Africa today is Arabic, interleaved with Berber, especially in Morocco and Algeria. This is obviously a recent phenomenon, and present-day languages are palimpsests, with traces of earlier languages such as Phoenician and Latin marking the introduction of new crops and agricultural techniques. Berber poses a particular problem, as despite its broad geographical range, the languages are all extremely close to one another, suggesting a recent spread, and thus the presence of numerous substrate languages which have now disappeared. The paper reviews the linguistic evidence for the main crops grown in North Africa during the period since the introduction of agriculture and the potential link with the archaeobotany of the region. Terms for the following crops appear to be reconstructible to proto-Berber; Cereals barley, wheat, millet, cereal (general term) Pulses fava bean, lentil, Lathyrus Vegetables onion, carrot Fruits date, grape, olive, fig The paper considers the construction of the North African cultigen repertoire from the viewpoint of borrowings from Punic, Latin, Ancient Egyptian, West African languages and Arabic.

This paper summarizes the current data about the site of Las Callejuelas (Teruel, Spain) and, for the first time, offers an accurate chronological proposal for its human occupations. The AAR dates confirm the chronology deduced after the lithic industry features and link it to some other uncommon Mousterian sites such as Bolomor or Estret de Trago, which like Las Callejuelas are characterised by the profusion of small-sized tools, resharpened pieces and exhausted cores. Besides the lithic toolkit, a copious assemblage of faunal remains was found: most were large mammals (horses and bovids) that could have been hunted and/or scavenged by the human groups that frequented the site. Its striking high altitude (1400 m asl) is discussed in the final part of the paper, which also proposes a comprehensive review of similar high-altitude Neanderthal occupations in Iberia.

This paper investigates the properties of quartz sampled at different sites in the Riss, Iller, Mindel, and Isar Valley of the northern Alpine Foreland of Germany and ties in with a previous study of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of glaciofluvial sediments from the type regions of the Wurmian, the Rissian, and the Mindelian Glaciations. The previous investigation showed severe underestimation of quartz ages compared to the existing tentative chronology based on morphostratigraphic evidence as well as fading uncorrected feldspar Infrared Stimulated Luminescence (IRSL) ages. In this paper we present laboratory experiments and data analyses such as pulse annealing and isothermal decay measurements, D e (t) and NR(t) plots as well as curve fitting analyses to demonstrate that the quartz has unfavourable luminescence characteristics. We conclude that the quartz from the study area is not suitable for OSL dating using standard single-aliquot regenerative-dose techniques.

This paper provides an overview of the MIS 11 record for Britain. The glacial history of Britain, in particular the Anglian glaciation of MIS 12, enables the identification of a number of sites that can be attributed to MIS 11. The good biological preservation at several of the sites allows correlation between them and therefore a better understanding of the chronology of the associated lithic industries. These assemblages can also in some cases be linked to the changing geographic position of Britain as sometimes a peninsula and other times an island of mainland Europe. It means that populations were colonising, retreating, or becoming locally extinct, then recolonizing as the geographic status changed. The initial colonisers seem to have lacked handaxe technology. Although this has been traditionally framed within a parochial ‘Clactonian’ debate, this paper suggests that it is better viewed within a European context to understand better the dynamics of population movement and the possible source areas for those populations. Equally differences in other lithic technologies, such as handaxes, can be viewed in this light. Finally, the paper suggests that within a European context, non-handaxes assemblages should be viewed as part of the technocomplex of the Acheulian and that there are many other technological and behavioural features that unite the various sites of MIS 11 Europe.

The Anning River Valley at the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau has long been a transit area and exchange corridor connecting Southwest China to the northern steppe. What has long remained unexplored are the local developments in the Anning River Valley itself. Recent fieldwork has brought to light new evidence and recent research on the local chronology has greatly enhanced our understanding of local prehistoric developments. Nevertheless, the Anning River Valley is usually treated as a cultural unit rather than the diverse area it is. Based on the results of recent fieldwork analyzed in a combination of object typology and spatial analysis, the present paper argues that during the Neolithic period the Anning River Valley was inhabited by various separate groups engaged in various types of subsistence practices. Over time, these groups grew increasingly closer and were finally drawn into one identity group connected by the practice of erecting megalithic graves. The conspicuous nature of those monuments and the complex rituals conducted in and around them also attracted communities in the neighboring mountains. Some of them adopted the practice wholesale; others adopted only certain aspects but preserved other burial customs of their own as well as ceramic form traditions and tool assemblages. As the paper shows, these differences in reaction to this new burial practice depended partially on local geographic preconditions, partially on the nature of the groups involved and various cultural factors.

The caves near Lake Lauricocha, Peru, were excavated between the late 1950s and mid-1960s and have since influenced the interpretation of early man in South America. Prior to the publication of this paper, the data used to interpret the age of this material was not based upon the human skeletons themselves, but were rather produced from the accompanying material, such as sediment, plant remains and animal bone. Radiocarbon dating in the 1960s was often not applied to human bones, as pre-treatment methods at that time were not as refined as at present and with conventional techniques, quite a lot of material had to be used. The development of AMS techniques requires much less material for analysis and sample preparation through collagen extraction means that radiocarbon dating of human bones is now possible and is a reliable method. As part of a wider project to analyse the DNA of the Lauricocha skeletons in order to elucidate migration patterns in Peru, we sampled 4 of the 11 skeletons for radiocarbon dating. This paper reports the results of this dating analysis. The results indicate that the skeletons are younger than interpreted from previously determined radiocarbon data on different material. However, this does not mean that the older analyses are wrong, and we review our findings in the light of this previous work to produce a new chronology for the site.

In this review volume, we bring together researchers and institutions involved in Australian island research to provide a contemporary synthesis and benchmark on archaeological and palaeoenvironmental research of Australian island environments. The last major overview of Australian islands archaeological research appeared 16 years ago in the volume Australian Coastal Archaeology (Hall and McNiven, 1999). At that time, the main geographical areas of dynamic islands research in Australia were northwest Western Australia, and central and southeast Queensland. Since 1999, Torres Strait has developed as the most dynamic region of islands research in Australia, and this new volume showcases the range of recent research from Torres Strait and the adjacent region of southern Papua New Guinea. All five INQUA Commissions (Coastal and Marine Processes; Humans and the Biosphere; Palaeoclimates; Stratigraphy and Chronology; Terrestrial Processes, Deposits and History) are represented in the papers in the volume. Key environmental themes explored through the volume are geoarchaeology, taphonomy, impacts of sea-level rise and climate change, chronology of island formation and colonisation, anthropogenic environmental modifications, island terrestrial and marine resource management, and intra- and inter-island occupation, mobility, and exchange relationships. Key socio-cultural themes explored include ritual and ceremonial sites, mortuary practices, canoe voyaging, and responses to colonial impact. Site types discussed include shell deposits (cultural and natural), villages, long-houses, gardens, rock art, ritual shrines, artificial reefs, and ceremonial stone arrangements. The contributions represent diverse multidisciplinary approaches adopting coordinated methodologies to the task of understanding the diversity of human use and modification of islands in the Australian context. Culturally and chronologically, the volume surveys the depth and breadth of Australian island societies, including studies of late Pleistocene island use in northwest Australia, late Holocene deltaic island societies of Papuan lowland rainforests, early-to-mid-Holocene tropical island use of Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef, and Holocene selective occupation and abandonment of Bass Strait and other Southern Ocean islands. The volume's geographic coverage is thus broadscale, spread from the hot and humid tropical north to the cold temperate waters of the Southern Ocean. Uniquely, the papers in this volume reveal the diversity and complexity of cultural practices (e.g. subsistence, mobility, technology, socio-religious institutions, cosmology, resource manipulation and management) and historical contingencies that structure and mediate long-term human use, engagement, and modification of islands.

This paper presents a novel perspective for modelling alluvial stratigraphy. It integrates the spatial geological information, geological maps and well-log descriptions, with the rules describing the hierarchy and relative chronology of the geological entities. As geological modelling tools are moving fast forward, the urgent need for expert geological input, codified as modelling rules, persists. Concerning subsurface alluvial architectures, the concepts of “stratigraphic hierarchy” and “relative chronology” provide the most relevant rules which permit to link the modelling procedure to the geo-history of a region. The paper shows how to formalize this knowledge into modelling rules. This is illustrated and implemented in a Python™ module named HIEGEO which is applied on a 2-D cross-section from the Po Basin (N-Italy). The stratigraphic correlation yields 2-D pictures of the hierarchic stratigraphy and relative chronology of the units. The input are: an attribute table of stratigraphic boundaries expressing their hierarchy and chronology; contact points where these boundaries cross the control logs. Since the aim of HIEGEO is to illustrate the principle of the method but not to replace existing 3-D geological modelling tools, it implements a linear interpolation algorithm which creates joins between contact points. It plots linear joins framing polygons based on their hierarchy, at any user's desired detail. HIEGEO highlights potential inconsistencies of the input dataset, helping to re-evaluate the geological interpretation. The proposed workflow allows to: i) translate geological knowledge into modelling rules; ii) compute stratigraphic models constrained by the hierarchy of stratigraphic entities and the relative chronology of geological events; iii) represent internal geometries of the stratigraphic units, accounting for their composite nature; iv) reduce uncertainty in modelling alluvial architectures. It represents a starting point for multi-scale applications and could be easily integrated into 3-D modelling packages, to couple the hierarchical concept proposed here with existing advanced interpolation methods.

The present paper is focused on the chronology of the Bronze Age in the territory of the Minusinsk basins (Republic of Khakassia and south of Krasnoyarsk District, Russia). The major chronological schemes created by S. A. Teploukhov and M. P. Gryaznov are presented. The main part of the paper is concerned with the modern views on the relative and absolute chronology of the archaeological cultures of this period and their relationship with previously used schemes. Particular attention is paid to defining the chronological stages of the Okunev Culture and the Late Bronze Age. This paper also presents radiocarbon dating results for the sites.

The objective of this paper is to make a detailed and multiproxy geomorphological study of the middle section of Amaicha River in Northwest Argentina. The obtained evolutionary model and chronological context will be linked with previous models to include the study area in a regional context. Finally, our model will be used as a morphochronological base to contextualize the lithic materials found in an area which previously lacked stra- tified records and absolute datings. The geomorphological study shows the high dynamic of the sector recorded in the ravine deposits during the Holocene. This process is reflected by the aggradation/degradation stages. A basal unit chronologically assimilated to the Pleistocene (Pl unit) is overlapped by four Holocene morphosedi- mentary units (H1 to H4). These units are arranged as terraces following an alternating succession of aggradative and degradative phases. The interbedding of tephra layers of known age, as well as radiometrically dated peat levels and soils, enables a very complete chronology of the Holocene sequence to be made. Lithic artifacts were found in the s1 soil, dated to 5468?4875 cal BP, providing one of the few records of stratified archaeological sites in the region for those times. This paper constitutes an initial approach in the development of a regional evo- lutionary model covering the period from the Late Pleistocene until the present. Fil: Sampietro Vattuone, Maria Marta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; Argentina Fil: Peña Monné, José Luis. Universidad de Zaragoza; España Fil: Báez, Walter Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentina Fil: Sola, Alfonso Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentina Fil: Somonte, Carolina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; Argentina

The Nihewan Basin in northern China is a key region in East Asia for the study of early human evolution, owing to the abundance of Palaeolithic sites with ages spanning the entire Pleistocene. However, most of the sites assigned to the Middle to Late Pleistocene have not been dated or are poorly dated, due to the lack of suitable numerical dating techniques. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of quartz grains is commonly restricted to deposits younger than ~ 200 ka, but recent developments using the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) emissions from grains of potassium-rich feldspar (K-feldspar) offer the potential to date Middle Pleistocene deposits using post-infrared IRSL (pIRIR) signals that do not suffer from ‘anomalous fading’. In this paper, we report the first archaeological applications of the recently developed pre-dose multiple elevated temperature pIRIR (pMET-pIRIR) procedures for K-feldspar, which we applied to the sedimentary deposits at one Lower Palaeolithic site (Donggutuo) and one putatively Middle Palaeolithic site (Motianling) in the Nihewan Basin. Equivalent dose (D e ) values were measured, and non-fading signals were identified, using single-aliquot (SAR) and multiple-aliquot (MAR) regenerative-dose pMET-pIRIR procedures. For a sample from Donggutuo expected to be in field saturation, the natural pMET-pIRIR signals were consistent with, or close, to the laboratory saturation levels only when the MAR procedure was used. For the samples from Motianling, however, both the SAR and MAR procedures could be applied and these yielded indistinguishable D e estimates. Our study shows that D e values of up to 1500 Gy (or possibly 2000 Gy) can be measured using pMET-pIRIR procedures, corresponding to ages of up to 500 ka (or 650 ka) for deposits with environmental dose rates of ~ 3 Gy/ka, as is typical for this region. Our results also indicate that samples from a single study area (the Nihewan Basin) can respond differently to the same measurement conditions. As regards the archaeology of the Nihewan Basin, we date the upper part of the cultural layer at the Motianling site to 322 ± 33 ka and the underlying culturally sterile deposits to 370 ± 50 ka. These ages challenge the stratigraphic correlation of the stone artefacts to the Middle Palaeolithic and suggest that they should, instead, be assigned to the Lower Palaeolithic. Given this revised chronology, there is clearly a need to reassess the antiquity of other sites in the Nihewan Basin that have similarly been assigned previously to the Middle Palaeolithic. The pMET-pIRIR procedures tested in this paper show great promise as suitable chronometers for this task, and should be able to provide a timeline for human evolution and activities extending over the last half-million years in this key region of East Asia.

In a recent paper by Ochoa and Garcia-Diez (2013) the available evidences for a chronology of western Pyrenean Paleolithic cave art are critically analyzed and discussed, and an alternative chronological organization is proposed on the basis of stylistic comparison. In this paper we discuss the critics made to the immediate context dating proposals in Altxerri B, Askondo and Etxeberri by giving the detailed information that has been recently published (Garate and Rios-Garaizar, 2012; Garate et al., 2012; Gonzalez-Sainz et al., 2013). We also discuss the validity of the stylistic comparisons proposed by Ochoa and Garcia-Diez (2013) for the Gravettian and the Magdalenian art. Finally we discuss the problems for establishing a reliable chronological framework for Paleolithic rock art in this area.

This paper provides a brief overview of the most common dating techniques applied in palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironmental studies including four radiometric and isotopic dating methods (radiocarbon, 230Th disequilibrium, luminescence, cosmogenic nuclides) and two incremental methods based on layer counting (ice layer, varves). For each method, concise background information about the fundamental principles and methodological approaches is provided. We concentrate on the time interval of focus for the INTIMATE (Integrating Ice core, MArine and TErrestrial records) community (60–8 ka). This dating guide addresses palaeoclimatologists who aim at interpretation of their often regional and local proxy time series in a wider spatial context and, therefore, have to rely on correlation with proxy records obtained from different archives from various regions. For this reason, we especially emphasise scientific approaches for harmonising chronologies for sophisticated and robust proxy data integration. In this respect, up-to-date age modelling techniques are presented as well as tools for linking records by age equivalence including tephrochronology, cosmogenic 10Be and palaeomagnetic variations. Finally, to avoid inadequate documentation of chronologies and assure reliable correlation of proxy time series, this paper provides recommendations for minimum standards of uncertainty and age datum reporting.

In their comment, Oviatt et al. (this issue) criticize and dismiss our recent paper (Nishizawa et al., 2013) by arguing that it contains misinterpretations and unreliable radiocarbon ages, and therefore that our findings will confuse many people trying to understand the lacustrine chronology of the Bonneville basin. Their comment, however, does not present evidence to substantiate their criticisms against our paper. Oviatt et al. attribute statements to the paper that are not found in it, and their attempt to re-graph the radiocarbon ages omits 13% of our data. Numeric ages that Oviatt et al. contend are conflicting either are not or are not as problematic as those commenters claim. Comparisons of our lake-interval interpretations with sediment-core data likewise do not show the contradictions that Oviatt et al. claim. In essence, Oviatt et al. seem to advocate complete dismissal of all of our numeric ages and lake-size interpretations regarding MIS 3 on the basis of one tufa age. The following sections identify the incorrect information presented in the comment by Oviatt et al., review the complete set of numeric ages for the contested intervals, and respond to the implication that our late colleague, mentor, and coauthor, Donald R. Currey, did not actively participate in this research.

Knowledge of the Little Ice Age (LIA) on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is of critical importance for understanding the climate changes over the past millennium. However, the data associated with the extents and chronologies of TP LIA moraines are highly dispersed in literature. Lack of systematic integration of these data hampers us to further understand the nature of the LIA, especially from a perspective of whole TP. The paper reviews multiple types of dating on LIA moraines to examine the timing and nature of the LIA on the TP. These include ages of radiocarbon 14C, lichenometry, and cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN), by which we can cross-date the same or morphostratigraphically similar landforms. LIA moraines on the TP are usually present a few hundred to thousand meters beyond the contemporary glaciers. The morphological and stratigraphic evidence indicates multiple periods of glacier advance during the last millennium (LIA). At present, available chronology evidence allows to fully compare the timing of the LIA maximum extents. The glaciers reached and retreated from their LIA maximum extents by an asynchronous pattern between different parts of the TP. The majority of glaciers advanced to their LIA maximum extents at late-14th and early-14th century on the southern and northwestern TP, respectively. The glaciers retreated from their LIA maximum extents during 16th to early-18th, late-14th to early-15th and early-16th century on the southern, northwestern, and northeastern TP, respectively. In addition, the glacier advance period of late-18th to early-19th centuries and retreat period of late-19th century are common on the whole TP. Comparison with ice core records suggests that on the TP, the glacier fluctuations responded more strongly to temperature than to precipitation. By comparison of the LIA chronologies from a global perspective, this paper also concludes that the LIA maximum extents occurred commonly earlier on the TP than in North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere regions, despite of the variability in the timing of LIA maximum extents on the TP and in the North Atlantic regions. Further, more chronology programs, especially in the central TP, are necessarily needed to improve our understanding of the LIA glacier fluctuations.

The origin of Levallois technology and its diversity has been one of the key issues of late Middle Pleistocene archaeology for a long time. This is due to the fact that this technological mode is associated with profound changes in the cognitive ability, the mobility, and the social organization of Palaeolithic hunters and gatherers. The aim of this paper is to raise a few questions related to the origins of the Levallois technology in Central Europe. It is essential to answer the question concerning when Levallois methods appeared in this part of the continent. The next question concerns the diversity of Levallois methods in Central Europe. Are we dealing with a number of schemes used independently, or rather with one or two ideas that were flexible and allowed for different technical changes? The paper also attempts to answer the question regarding the potential sources for the Levallois strategy in Central Europe. Was its sole propagator the Acheulean groups of hunters and gatherers, or might there have been other sources? Current studies indicate that the Levallois technology within the early Middle Palaeolithic sites of Central Europe is as diverse as in Western Europe. The reasons for this can be seen in both the distribution of stone raw materials as well as the impact of different mental patterns, the activity range, and the structural features of the technical system. Current analyses show that the Levallois technology was more widely promoted in the northern zone of Central Europe, where outcrops of high quality raw materials occurred. The studies also suggest that the Levallois technology in Central Europe may have come from different sources. A large part of the materials is related to the Acheulean milieu, which is commonly regarded as the main promoter of the idea of predetermined technology (the Elbe valley). Some Central European sites with early signals of Levallois technology (Silesian Lowlands, Krakow–Czestochowa Upland and the Bohemian Massive or the Carpathians) are located, however, outside the dense Acheulean settlement area. These sites are linked to sources in south or southeast Europe. There is no evidence of local, Central European origins of predetermined technology. Considering the chronology of the appearance of the Levallois technology, two periods can be distinguished. The first period is characterized by the incidental appearance of signs of the small-scale use of predetermined methods in separated places (to MIS9). The second period, which begins either in MIS8 or MIS7 and 6, is characterized by the rapid spread of the technology in question in various forms. Traces from Central Europe are known only from the second period. The later appearance of the Levallois technology in Central Europe probably results from the fact that this area was not visited as often as other territories because of its proximity to the glacial centres.

Recent refinements in radiocarbon sampling procedures have enabled a more robust absolute chronology for the Mesolithic in the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt area of northwest Europe. These refinements have allowed for a new chronological sub-division of the Early and Middle Mesolithic periods. Results of this research have indicated that the Middle Mesolithic period was bound by two Early Holocene cooling events, one at 9300 cal. BP and the other at 8200 cal. BP. These results enable a critical evaluation of the role of chronological precision in the investigation of contemporaneity between abrupt climate change and hunter–gatherer sociocultural change. In this paper we focus on the variable chronological resolution of the Early to Middle and Middle to Late Mesolithic transitions in the RMS area, and the role of this variable resolution in our ability to investigate the contemporaneity of these two transitions with different Early Holocene abrupt cooling events. This paper highlights two central challenges facing archaeological investigations of the relationships between climate and culture change: first, the requirement of tight chronological overlap between climate and culture change events and consideration of leads and lags in ecosystem and subsequent human responses to climate change; second, the equifinality problem and the separation of the impact of gradual from punctuated environmental change on human societies.

The paper reviews previously published and presents new data on the Darhad Basin, Mongolia, which is a key locality for reconstruction of Quaternary glaciation and environmental changes in northern Central Asia. The previously published data include those obtained in the 20th century by Soviet geological surveys and academic researches of the Darhad Basin, which are, as a rule, not accessible for an international reader, and those obtained by several international teams during the last decade. The new results include geomorphologic, sedimentological and geochronological data obtained prior to and within the International Darhad Drilling Project (DDP-2010). These data show that the Darhad sedimentary sequence has been formed since the Pliocene and represents a detailed archive of environmental changes due to a high content of lacustrine beds. Lakes formed several times in the Darhad Basin by basaltic, glacial and sedimentary dams, which blocked the water outlet of the basin. Of special interest in this paper are the late Pleistocene damming events, which are well-documented in the sediments and landforms, however, their chronology is still obscure. There have been two stages of deep lake. The first lake was dammed by a glacier during late MIS 5 ( Krivonogov et al., 2005 ) or, alternatively, during early to middle MIS 3 ( Gillespie et al., 2008a ). The second damming, glacial or sedimentary, formed another deep lake during MIS 4 or MIS 2. The level of the lake was greatly variable up to its complete disappearance. Our new data from the DDP10-3 and DN-1 boreholes and from the Hodon outcrop illustrate the Holocene history of the paleolake, which was dammed by the sediments and was kept at low levels. We propose a first sedimentation model for the Holocene part of the lacustrine sedimentary sequence. The lake was minimal or disappeared at ca 12–9.6 and after 4.5 ka cal. BP, relatively deep at 9.6–7.1 and 6.4–4.5 ka cal. BP and shallow at 7.1–6.4 ka cal. BP. Conclusively, we highlighted solved and unsolved geological problems of the Darhad Basin, the most important of which are our recognized stages of the paleolake development (solved) and the detailed chronology and environments of the lacustrine and glacial events (unsolved).

This paper provides a preliminary chronostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental framework for the Late Pleistocene archaeological sequence at Melikane Rockshelter in mountainous eastern Lesotho. Renewed excavations at Melikane form part of a larger project investigating marginal landscape use by Late Pleistocene foragers in southern Africa. Geoarchaeological work undertaken at the site supports in-! eld observations that Melikane experienced regular, often intensive, input of groundwater via ! ssures in the shelter’s rear wall. This strong hydrogeological connection resulted in episodic disturbances of the sedimentary sequence, exacerbated by other processes such as bioturbation. Despite this taphonomic complexity, a robust chronology for Melikane has been developed, based on tightly cross-correlated accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14 C with acid-base-wet oxidation stepped-combustion (ABOx-SC) pretreatment and single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The results show that human occupation of Melikane was strongly pulsed, with episodes of Late Pleistocene occupation at w80, w60, w50, w46e38 and w24 ka. At least three additional occupational pulses occurred in the Holocene at w9 ka, w3 ka and in the second millennium AD, but these are dealt with only brie" y in this paper. Implications of the Late Pleistocene pulsing for the colonisation of high elevations by early modern humans in Africa ahead of dispersals into challenging landscapes beyond the continent are discussed.

Tree-ring chronology, which is dating accurate, continuous, high resolution, high correlation to climate factors, etc., is one of the primary materials in the study of past global climate. Trees at moist high altitudes such as Pinus aiwanensis, exist false tree-rings commonly, so the cross-dating is difficult. This paper proposes a solution to a two-step compositive cross-dating by subsection, which is preliminary cross-dating by rings according to dendrology, next measuring the tree-ring width by routine tree-ring climatology to test cross-dating. According to characteristics of Pinus aiwanensis tree-rings, first, draw concentric circles at obvious boundaries to acquire subsections on tree-ring photos and analyze variation of ring from the pith to the east, west, south and north direction in subsection to find false tree-rings, next preliminary cross-dating. This paper establishes the tree-ring width(TRW) and density(TRD) chronologies of Pinus aiwanensis, and analyses correlation between tree-ring index and climate factors such as temperature, precipitation, sunshine hours, etc.The results show that: For Pinus aiwanensis at moist high altitudes exist false tree-rings commonly, two-step cross-dating by subsection is introduced, which is preliminary cross-dating by rings according to dendrology, next measuring the TRW by routine dendroclimatology to test cross-dating and analyze variation of ring in subsection, so that the cross-dating is much accurate and reliable. The correlation between tree-ring components and annual mean temperature shows that: Pinus aiwanensis TRW and TRD have a positive correlation to annual mean temperature and sunshine hours, the tree-ring have a negative correlation to annual mean precipitation and frost days. On adequate moisture conditions, high temperature and sunshine hours have a positive effect on tree growth, too much rainfall is antiblastic. The TRW have a positive correlation to early spring temperature, the TRD have a significant correlation to summer temperature and sunshine hours. Early spring temperatures and sunshine hours have an effect on Pinus aiwanensis TRW, summer temperature and sunshine hours have a particularly important effect on TRD. In view of the significance level, the TRD have a significant correlation to temperature.

This paper reviews the application of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to glacier chronology. Exposure dating of glacial landforms has made an outsize impact on this field because the technique filled an obvious need that had already been recognized by glacial geologists. By now, hundreds of studies have used cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to date glacial deposits, and in fact it is rare to find a study of glacial geology or glacier chronology, or any paleoclimate synthesis that makes use of such studies, that does not involve exposure dating. These developments have resulted in major contributions to glacier chronology and paleoclimate, in particular i) reconstructing Antarctic ice sheet change, ii) establishing the chronology of late Pleistocene and Holocene glacier change in mountain regions where it was previously unknown; iii) establishing the broad chronological outlines of mountain glaciations prior to the Last Glacial Maximum; and iv) gaining insight into subglacial erosional processes through the observation that many glaciated surfaces preserve cosmogenic-nuclide inventories from long past ice-free periods as well as the present one. An important potential future contribution will be the application of the large data set of exposure-dated glacier chronologies to better understand global and regional climate dynamics during Lateglacial and Holocene millennial-scale climate changes. However, this contribution cannot be realized without significant progress in two areas: i) understanding and accounting for geologic processes that cause apparent exposure ages on glacial landforms to differ from the true age of the landform, and ii) minimizing systematic uncertainties in exposure ages that stem from cosmogenic-nuclide production-rate estimates and scaling schemes. At present there exists an enormous data set of exposure ages on glacial deposits, but these data cannot be used to their full potential in paleoclimate syntheses due to an inadequate understanding of geologic scatter and production-rate uncertainties. The intent of this paper is to highlight this situation and suggest some strategies for realizing this potential.

This paper presents a quantitative chronology for the spread of rice, based on the global Rice Chronology Database that builds upon direct datings of archaeological rice remains. Bayesian and spatio-temporal modelling suggest eastern China (lower Yangzi, middle Yangzi, southern Huai River, and Shandong) and northeastern South Asia as two key origins of rice cultivation, dating to ca. 7430 and 6460 BCE, respectively. At least two episodes of spread of rice are identified. The first, dating to the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE, accounts for the appearance of rice in the middle Yellow River and Wei River regions, southeastern China, southwestern China, and Southeast Asia. An examination of population dynamics in China shows that this episode of spread might be associated with farmers whose subsistence was based largely on millets. During a second episode of spread, dating between the 1st millennium BCE and 1st millennium CE, rice spread to the Liao River region, Central Asia, and Africa.

This paper presents an overview of the results obtained by collaborative use of integrative multidisciplinary investigation of a highly unique geological section discovered in the south-eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. The main aim of this study is to identify the Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic changes in the study area during one of the most controversial periods in the Late Pleistocene history, which is the MIS 5. Our approach to achieving the goal is based on the investigation of feldspar-based infrared optically stimulated luminescence (IR-OSL) dated records of pollen-induced palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironmental proxies. Palynological analysis and IR-OSL dates of 29 samples for the first time produced a detailed, characterised and dated sequence of palynological zones M6 to M8 ranging from ca. 94 ka to ca. 70 ka and made it possible to determine the chronological sequence of climate changes in this interval. Representative pollen spectra from 69 samples provided convincing evidence of a warm interval of interglacial rank at least during the latter half of MIS 5. The data obtained in the present study from well-preserved deposits of the second half of MIS 5 provided a novel insight into the palaenvironmental conditions during this period. These results seem to contradict the widely held view according to which the last interglacial stage with the climate conditions similar or warmer than today corresponds to only a small part of marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 of the deep-sea stratigraphy, i.e. MISs 5e lasting ca. 11 ka, and the period from 100 ka to 80 ka is attributed to an Early Weichselian glaciation, which in Northern Eurasia reached its maximum at about 90 ka. However, the findings obtained during the present study are also convincingly confirmed by those of our previous long-term investigations of warm climate-related shell-bearing deposits of various origins from Northern Eurasia including climatically highly sensitive Eurasian Arctic palaeo-shelf area. These results indicated that the overwhelming majority of the warm climate-related dates (ca. 82%) is also concentrated in the latter half of MIS 5 in the time range between 110 ka and 70 ka.

This paper presents new chronological data applied to the problem of providing a date for the construction of a prehistoric building, with a case study from the Old Scatness Broch, Shetland. The innovative methodology employed utilises the combination of radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates with the archaeological information, which includes the stratigraphic relationships of sampled deposits, context information, and evidence relating to the formation of the deposit. This paper discusses the scientific validity of the dates produced, and the advantages that the methodology employed at this site offers for archaeological interpretation. The combined dating evidence suggests that the broch at Old Scatness is earlier than the conventionally accepted dates for broch construction. More broadly it shows the value of integration of the specialists at the planning stages of the excavation. The application of a Bayesian statistical model to the sequences of dates allowed investigation of the robustness of the dates within the stratigraphic sequences, as well as increasing the resolution of the resulting chronology. In addition, the value of utilising multiple dating techniques on the same deposit was demonstrated, as this allowed different dated events to be directly compared as well as issues relating to the formation of the sampled deposit. This in turn impacted on the chronological significance of the resulting dating evidence, and therefore the confidence that could be placed in the results.

The reasons for megafaunal extinction in Australia have been hotly debated for over 30 years without any clear resolution. The proposed causes include human overkill, climate, anthropogenic induced habitat change or a combination of these. Most protagonists of the human overkill model suggest the impact was so swift, occurring within a few thousand years of human occupation of the continent, that archaeological evidence should be rare or non-existent. In Tasmania the presence of extinct megafauna has been known since the early twentieth century ( Noetling, 1912 , Scott, 1911 , Scott, 1915 ) with earlier claims of human overlap being rejected because of poor chronology and equivocal stratigraphic associations. More recent archaeological research has not identified any megafauna from the earliest, exceptionally well-preserved late Pleistocene cultural sites. In 2008 however an argument for human induced megafaunal extinctions was proposed using the direct dates from a small sample of surface bone from two Tasmanian non-human caves and a museum sediment sample from an unknown location in a cave, since destroyed by quarrying ( Turney et al., 2008 ). Turney et al. (2008) supplemented their data with published dates from other Tasmanian caves and open sites to argue for the survival of at least seven megafauna species from the last interglacial to the subsequent glacial stage. To investigate the timing of extinctions in Tasmania and examine the latest claims, new excavations and systematic surveys of limestone caves in south central Tasmania were undertaken. Our project failed to show any clear archaeological overlap of humans and megafauna but demonstrated that vigilance is needed when claiming survival of megafauna species based on old or suspect chronologies. The results of our six-years of fieldwork and dating form the first part of the present paper while, in the second part we assess the data advanced by Turney et al. (2008) for the late survival of seven megafauna species. A model of human prey selection and the reasons for the demise of a range of marsupials, now extinct, are discussed in the third part of the paper.

A number of AMS radiocarbon dates, accumulated since the 1990's, reveal that ceramic technology first developed among non-agricultural, hunter-gatherer societies in the late Pleistocene of East Asia. Specifically, on the Japanese Archipelago the radiocarbon chronology indicates a diverse trajectory of pottery adoption. The earliest adoption of pottery here was by mobile hunter-gatherers, regardless of region and climatic event. On the other hand, pottery culture suddenly started to flourish later along the warmer Pacific coastline region of southwestern Japan just after the onset of climatic warming of the Late Glacial, and spread throughout the archipelago by the onset of the Holocene. Climatic amelioration, therefore, did not induce the ‘beginning’ of pottery use, but prompted the ‘development’ of sedentary lifestyles accompanying intensified use of pottery. This complicated situation clearly means that motivation and context of pottery adoption do not follow a simple explanation. However, recent studies of chemical and isotope analyses of charred residues on pottery indicate similar use of early pottery throughout the archipelago in the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene. This paper critically re-evaluates these issues through examining synchronic and diachronic archaeological contexts. Existing data indicate that there is great inter-regional variability in technology, subsistence, paleoenvironment, and adaptation associated with pottery, therefore the motivation for the adoption of pottery is distinct within various geographical, environmental, and temporal contexts in the archipelago.

This paper shows a first approximation towards an interdisciplinary treatment of flood events from an historical, climatic and meteorological point of view. Starting from historical document sources, early instrumental data (basically, rainfall and surface pressure) and the most recent meteorological information, the paper analyses the temporal evolution of floods in NE Spain since the 14th century. Results show than the highest number of floods have been recorded in the Ter river, with 121 flood events (1322–2000 AD), followed by the Llobregat river with 112 cases at its mouth (1315–2000 AD). Any trend has been observed for the catastrophic floods. On the contrary, extraordinary floods show a little positive trend, probably related with the human occupation of the flood prone areas. Besides this, the paper shows an initial approximation of current meteorological master-patterns to the flooding episodes recorded between 1840 and 1870, a period characterised by a higher frequency of flooding. The newness is the reconstruction of those daily charts by using early instrumental data from 11 meteorological or astronomic observatories, some of them collected by the authors in the framework of the SPHERE project. For that purpose, the conceptual models obtained on the basis of the in-depth analysis of recent flooding episodes are compared with the synoptic pattern at the surface of those flood episodes registered in historical times. Following the proposed interdisciplinary approach, the paper bases itself on the documentary collections forming the subject-matter of this study, as well as the older and latest instrumental records.

This paper is about the development of cost and/or management accounting research in Britain. The authors are three researchers active in this area from the 1970s until the present. The history has not been constructed from careful archival reconstruction of events, or publications, or surveys of colleagues. Rather, it is a personal joint recollection of how the area grew by three scholars involved in this process and perhaps having spent too long in bars discussing it. As history this paper must be carefully covered by caveats—it may be more revealing of the attitudes, perceptions and preoccupations of a set of scholars, than an exact chronology of events. Nevertheless, we hope that even this may be of curiosity. Having traced the chronology of British management accounting research, the paper concludes with the authors’ assessment of British research contributions up to the turn of the twentieth century. This includes a review of the current situation, insofar as it can be discerned and, even more tentatively and with trepidation, possible future prospects for British management accounting research.

International audience; Numerous charcoal kiln remains can still be found throughout the world, evidencing wood harvesting related to former industries. These remains represent effective sources and tools for studying (i) pre-industrial pressures on forest resources and (ii) past strategies related to woodland management. However, radiocarbon dating (AMS), which is the main tool to reconstruct the chronology of past charcoal manufacturing activity, doesn't provide sufficiently accurate dating, especially for the post-1650 period, due to the broad probability range of the dates resulting from wiggles in the calibration curve. In order to overcome the radiocarbon dating limitation and therefore refine the chronology of modern charcoal manufacturing, this paper proposes to apply an integrated approach combining archaeology, micromorphology, anthracology and dendrochronology. To characterise the archaeological record of a target charcoal kiln terrace from the "Forêt de Bernadouze", located in a historical iron production valley of the Northern Pyrenees, we combined classical stratigraphic analysis with a micromorphological study. The results highlight the multiperiod nature of the terrace, i.e. a palimpsest of multiple charcoal production episodes, revealing two major phases marked by an abandonment period between them. Subsequently, we constructed a beech charcoal-ring (n=49) chronology cross-dated with the new "Forêt de Bernadouze" reference chronology from freshly felled, living beech trees (n=24) to obtain the annual resolution of charcoal ring formation. Based on the new reconstructed master chronology covering the 1879-2016 period, we were able to calibrate the charcoal-ring chronology for the 1881-1941 period. Consequently, we (i) dated the charcoal production activity performed on the target terrace during the 1924-1942 period and (ii) identified a shift in the rate of use of the terrace, from one-off to high-intensive use. This study also provides new insights regarding (i) the particular nature of the archaeological record and (ii) the operating and timing of past charcoal-making practices in connection with silvicultural treatments.

Based on published chronologies of Hg contamination to the Saguenay/St. Lawrence system as well as sedimentary profiles for this heavy metal in the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary, we have established a 100–200 year chronology in the studied sediments and reassessed sedimentation rates for the estuarine system. Our results suggest that sedimentation rates might be higher, by a factor of 1.5–2, than previously assumed for the Lower Estuary. This chronology in parallel with concentrations of Hg and lignin, the latter an unambiguous marker of terrigenous organic matter, were used successfully to describe natural conditions prevailing prior to the late 19th to early 20th century and the changes due to industrial activities (chlor-alkali, pulp and paper mills) that occurred in the first half of the 20th century. In contrast to earlier studies, no significant relationship was found between Hg and lignin in ancient and recent sedimentary intervals contradicting the hypothesis of a particulate lignin-rich carrier-phase controlling the transport and distribution of Hg within the system. Such a correlation between Hg and lignin was only observed in sediments deposited during a discrete period of high Hg contamination (1940–1975). However, the covariation of Hg and lignin in sediments deposited in this period results from simultaneous loadings of these two compounds following production growth of chlor-alkali and pulp and paper industries, respectively, and conservative dispersal of sediments from the Upper Saguenay Fjord down to the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary.

This paper presents first a discussion on the status of the subdivisions of the European Neogene mammal chronology and second, it synthesizes all available magnetostratigraphic data from Europe to provide chronological framework for mammal localities, mammalian events and mammalian biochronologic units of the European Neogene. Because of the lack of their rock equivalents, the subdivisions of the European Neogene, based on mammals, have not attained the stage status in terms of reliability, except the Vallesian and Turolian. Therefore they are designated as the European Land Mammal Ages (ELMA). Magnetostratigraphic data on mammal-bearing deposits in Europe is still scarce in time and space; consequently, it is not yet possible to correlate accurately all ELMA and MN zones with the geomagnetic polarity time-scale (GPTS). Nevertheless, several studies dealing with mammal localities (and their deposits) around the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, in the middle and late Miocene provide reliable correlations of some ELMA and MN zone boundaries. Thus, the calibration of the Oligocene/Miocene boundary at the base of Chron C6Cn.2n is in agreement with its age in marine deposits. The well-known Hipparion Datum (Astaracian/Vallesian boundary) is now dated as about 10.8 Ma, occurring slightly above the base of Chron C5n.2n. This paper also reviews magnetostratigraphic correlations of some late Miocene and Pliocene mammal localities in the Paratethys area. Taking into account the chronological assessments in other parts of Europe for some key mammalian events, new correlations with the GPTS have been proposed for these localities. Thus some new ages are suggested for the late Miocene and Pliocene Paratethys stages.

The paper presents the newly established radiocarbon dates of the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) settlement in Gvardjilas Klde in the Imereti region in Georgia. The analysed samples were collected by Stefan Krukowski in 1916 during his fieldwork in the cave. Krukowski identified two separate UP cultural horizons. The older one was connected with what he called layer 10, and the younger one - with layer 11. The obtained radiocarbon dates confirm the results obtained by Krukowski. The older settlement phase can be dated to 19.7–18.8 ky cal. BP, while the younger one to 15.8–14.7 ky cal. BP. The end of human occupation can be linked to the beginning of the Holocene. Interestingly, the presented probability density models show that Gvardjilas Klde was occupied interchangeably with other sites in the region. There is no other site in the Imereti region with chronology similar to any of the settlement phases in Gvardjilas Klde. The only chronologically corresponding sites are Mezmaiskaya Cave and Badynoko Rockshelter in the Northern Caucasus.

International audience; The Badegoulian technocomplex holds a special place among the West European Upper Paleolithic (UP) cultural traditions. Often understated or even bypassed by the main prehistorical overviews, caught between the fascinating Solutrean and the "classic" Magdalenian technocomplexes, it nonetheless probably marks a turning point in the evolving trajectory of hunter-gatherers in present-day France. The deep typo-technological changes, traditionally noted through lithic equipment, have recently been examined in the framework of interdisciplinary programs centered on several key-stratigraphic sequences located in southwest France. The combined analyses of flint, bone and antler assemblages, ornaments and faunal remains, together with the implementation of systematic archaeostratigraphic reassessment and radiometric dating, serve to confirm the speed and the strength of these changes ca. 23 cal ka BP. Without going into detail into the Solutrean-Badegoulian transition issue, the present paper provides a synthetic overview of the main Badegoulian characteristics-and their known variability on the basis of the lithic and osseous equipment that guided the original identification. Following a three-step structure successively exploring the "when", the "what" and the "where" questions, we will look at the current challenges in LGM chronocultural research, between (false) consensus and (true) sticking points.

The early Paleogene continental sequence of northwestern Wyoming and south central Montana (USA) and the Neogene Siwalik sequence of northern Pakistan are exceptionally long, fossiliferous, and well studied in terms of geology, paleontology, mammalian evolution, paleoecology, and paleoclimatology. Each record spans about 15 myr of alluvial deposition in a foreland basin. The fluvial systems differed in size, drainage of floodplains, and change in alluvial architecture through time. Both sequences preserved abundant paleosols, which are a source of paleoclimatic signals in stable isotopes from soil carbonates. Fossil collections from both records are dominated by vertebrate remains and especially by mammals; the Paleogene sequence also preserved abundant floral remains. Patterns of vertebrate preservation differed markedly between the two sequences, placing inherent limitations on paleoecological reconstruction and on the scope of evolutionary studies of mammalian lincages. In this introductory paper, we summarize the major similarities and differences in geologic setting, chronology and time resolution, and mammalian faunal composition of these two long sequences. Finally, we present a brief overview of the organization of papers in this special issue.

Cross-cutting relationships between regional structures and post-tectonic plutons of known age are commonly used to date regional deformation in orogenic belts. In order to show that a pluton is post-tectonic one must demonstrate that the strains within the pluton are not due to regional tectonic processes. This paper reports strain measurements associated with pluton emplacement in northern Sierra Nevada. These strain data and a microstructural analysis indicate that strains within the Merrimac plutons are due to igneous not tectonic processes, which strengthens the hypothesis that the plutons were emplaced after the formation of regional structures and melanges. Radiometric ages of the Merrimac pluton, in concert with structural data, place a more reliable upper Jurassic limit on the age of the subduction in the Western Belt of northern Sierra Nevada. This paper also reports constrictional strains around plutons, and suggests that the Merrimac plutons contributed significantly to the ductile strains observed in the wall rocks.

Within a pan-Iroquoian perspective, this paper seeks to characterize the pace of the culture change that occurred between A.D. 500 and A.D. 1300 in most of the regions occupied by Iroquoians. The two basic points of the paper are that Iroquoian villages were not year-round sedentary communities until around A.D. 1300 and that a shift to a greater dependance on maize and other cultigens occurred around the same time. The sedentarization of these groups is examined along several lines of research including settlement pattern criteria such as sites location, longhouses, pits, middens, artifact density, and cultigens chronology and adoption. It is argued that the Iroquoians became agriculturists after a slow and discontinuous transformation. Increased sedentariness is then viewed as a precondition for some social changes in the Iroquoian cultural system that provided the basis allowing corn to become the staple food after a long period of domestication.

The paper offers a chronology of financial crises in Norway from her independence in 1814 till present times. Firstly, business cycles, covering almost two hundred years of economic history are mapped. These reveal years of crises in the real economy. These seem to coincide with most of the major financial crises. Secondly, the paper the financial crises are described chronologically. Thirdly, the paper investigates key patterns in credit and money volumes. It concludes that major financial crises typically took place after substantial money and credit expansion causing financial instability, loss of long term equilibriums, overheating and bubbles followed by severe meltdowns in the economy.

Over the past decade, physical and chemical analyses have been widely applied to the study of rock art contexts, particularly to examine the composition of rock art paintings and for direct radiometric dating. Different sampling and analytical methods have been applied to rock art from different parts of the world. However, in Africa these analyses are still at an embryonic stage. The results are often problematic in terms of reliability, mainly as concerns the chronology. This is due to a wide range of fossil and active biodegradation processes affecting rock surfaces and pigments; such processes are still widely underestimated. This paper aims to discuss the state of the art of the physical and chemical analyses undertaken on African rock art contexts, and the urgent need to establish protocols and best practices for sampling and analysis. The preliminary results of a new project in southern Ethiopia are presented here as an example of an integrated study of a rock art context, combining Archaeology and Earth Sciences. Preliminary field observations and SEM-EDS analyses, run on samples from two rock shelters in the Borana area, reveal the presence of a complex set of physical, chemical, and biological weathering processes with manifold effects on the rock art evidence.

This paper addresses the eastern province of the Bandkeramik. Aspects of chronology, settlement and cultural contact will be discussed. Once, the LBK lands to the east of the Vistula River formed an integral part of the Bandkeramik cultural complex. Mobility and contact contributed to the comparatively high degree of homogeneity observed across the vast zone of LBK interaction stretching from the Seine to the Dnieper Rivers. Furthermore, at the eastern periphery of the LBK inspirations were drawn from Mesolithic backgrounds, the Bug-Dniester culture, and Neolithic communities of the Lower Danube. On the other hand, towards the end of her cultural cycle the LBK seems to have had little effect on the subsequent formation of future Neolithic cultures. The expansion of the Bandkeramik came to a halt at the western fringes of the steppes. Here, confronted with an increasingly continental climate, the forest peasants of the LBK met their agro-ecological limits.

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the last areas populated by modern humans because of its harsh environment. Due to the paucity of reliably dated archaeological sites, the history of the peopling of Tibet is unclear. However, more than 110 microblade sites discovered on the Plateau indicate large-scale migration. This paper reviews microblade assemblages in seven geographical regions in terms of the specific techno-typologies, and divides them into three types. Based upon results obtained from 17 archaeological sites and techno-typological comparisons, we argue that microblade sites on the Plateau fall within three periods, 14-10 ka BP, 8-7 ka BP and 5-3 ka BP. The techno-typology of sites in the first period is still unclear. Assemblages are dominated by flake blank exploitation cores represented by wedge-shaped nuclei during the second period. Conical microblade cores and pottery coexisted during the latest period. A combination of chronology, techno-typology and the locations of microblade sites discovered on and around the Tibetan Plateau supports the conclusion that people bearing microblade technology originating in North China migrated to the Plateau via a northern route.