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Radiocarbon Dating of Prehistoric Shell from New Zealand and Calculation of the δr Value Using Fish Otoliths

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

T. F. G. Higham  and
A. G. Hogg
T. F. G. Higham
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, School of Science and Technology, University of Waikato Hamilton, New Zealand
A. G. Hogg
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, School of Science and Technology, University of Waikato Hamilton, New Zealand
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Abstract

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We calculated a new ∆R for New Zealand waters using 14C dates of historic shell previously presented by McFadgen and Manning (1990), and fish otoliths dated by Kalish (1993). We obtained a new estimate of −25 ± 15 14C yr. To test the accuracy of this value for correcting conventional 14C marine ages, we dated shell of a variety of different species excavated at the prehistoric site of Shag Mouth, North Otago. We compared the results with a pooled mean date for terrestrial samples and calculated a local ∆R value that we found statistically indistinguishable from the new ∆R estimate for New Zealand.

Type
III. Calibration of the 14C Time Scale
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , 1995 , pp. 409 - 416
Copyright
Copyright © the Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona 

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