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Reply to Bamforth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Karen G. Harry
Karen G. Harry*
Affiliation:
Statistical Research, P.O. Box 31865, Tucson, AZ 85751
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Abstract

Bamforth contends that research conducted into cation-ratio dating at CA-KER-140 was flawed because of (1) a poorly conceived research design, (2) a lack of site integrity, and (3) misinterpretation of the chemical data. He further argues that processes affecting artifact stability at KER-140 were absent from the IPP sites. As a result, he suggests that the conclusions presented in my earlier article are unsound and irrelevant to the interpretation of previously derived cation-ratio dates. In this article I respond to these assertions. Specifically, I demonstrate that Bamforth has failed to establish grounds for dismissing either the KER-140 research design or the chemical results obtained from that study. In addition, I review descriptions of the IPP sites presented elsewhere by Bamforth and conclude that these descriptions support the interpretation of artifact instability at the IPP sites.

Bamforth sostiene que la investigatión sobre la datation por radios de catión conducida en el sitio CA-KER-140 es problemática debido a (1) un diseño de investigatión pobre (2) falta de integridad en el sitio, y (3) interpretaciones incorrectas de los datos químicos. Además, él arguye que los procesos que afectan la estabilidad de los artefactos en CA-KER-140 no existen en los sitios IPP. Como resultado, él sugiere que las conclusiones presentadas en my articula anterior son dudosas e irrelevantes para la interpretation de fechados por radios de cation obtenidos previamente. En este articule yo respondo a sus criticas. Especificamente, demuestro que Bamforth no estableció criterios válidos para desechar tanto el diseño de investigatión en KER-140 como los resultados quimicos obtenidos en esa investigatión. Adicionalmente, reviso las descripciones de los sitios IPP presentados por Bamforth en otras publicaciones y concluyo que estas descripciones apoyan la interpretatión de inestabilidad de los artefactos en los sitios IPP.

Type
Comments
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 62 , Issue 1 , January 1997 , pp. 130 - 138
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1997

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References

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