Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T01:13:11.933Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Wiggle-Match Dating of Wooden Samples from Iron Age Sites in Northern Italy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

G Quarta ,
M I Pezzo ,
S Marconi ,
U Tecchiati ,
M D'Elia  and
L Calcagnile
G Quarta*
Affiliation:
CEDAD (Centre for Dating and Diagnostics), Department of Innovation Engineering, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
M I Pezzo
Affiliation:
Museo Civico di Rovereto, Dendrochronology Laboratory, Rovereto, Italy
S Marconi
Affiliation:
Museo Civico di Rovereto, Dendrochronology Laboratory, Rovereto, Italy
U Tecchiati
Affiliation:
Soprintendenza Provinciale ai Beni Culturali di Bolzano/Bozen/Bozen, Ufficio Beni Archeologici, Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
M D'Elia
Affiliation:
CEDAD (Centre for Dating and Diagnostics), Department of Innovation Engineering, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
L Calcagnile
Affiliation:
CEDAD (Centre for Dating and Diagnostics), Department of Innovation Engineering, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected].
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Archaeological excavations carried out at the sites of Laion/Lajen (Bolzano/Bozen) and Stufles-Oberegger (Bressanone/Brixen) in northern Italy uncovered well-preserved wooden samples in cultural layers archaeologically dated to the Iron Age. From the 2 sites, different wooden samples were recovered that were well preserved enough to allow clear identification of the tree species and of the ring structure. Among the different wooden samples, 2 were selected for radiocarbon analyses: from Laion/Lajen, a beam with an unbroken sequence of 158 rings; from Stufles-Oberegger, a combusted trunk with a sequence of 217 rings. Both samples were identified as Larix decidua species. From each sequence, single rings were selected and submitted for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating analysis at CEDAD. Conventional 14C ages were then calibrated to calendar ages using the IntCal04 atmospheric data set, while the statistical constraints resulting from the defined ring sequence were used to develop a wiggle-matching approach by making use of the Bayesian analysis functions available in OxCal. The obtained results are an important contribution in refining the chronology of the studied sites.

Type
Calibration, Data Analysis, and Statistical Methods
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 52 , Issue 3: 20th Int. Radiocarbon Conference Proceedings , 2010 , pp. 915 - 923
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

References

Baillie, MGL Pilcher, JR. 1973. A simple crossdating program for tree-ring research. Tree-Ring Bulletin 33:7–14.Google Scholar
Bayliss, A. 2009. Rolling out revolution: using radiocarbon dating in archaeology. Radiocarbon 51(1):123–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blackwell, PG, Buck, CE, Reimer, PJ. 2006. Important features of the new radiocarbon calibration curves. Quaternary Science Reviews 25(5–6):408–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blockley, SPE, Blaauw, M, Bronk Ramsey, C, van der Plicht, J. 2007. Building and testing age models for radiocarbon dates in Lateglacial and Early Holocene sediments. Quaternary Science Reviews 26(15–16):1915–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 1995. Radiocarbon calibration and analysis of stratigraphy: the OxCal program. Radiocarbon 37(2):425–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2001. Development of the radiocarbon calibration program. Radiocarbon 43(2A):355–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2009. Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 51(1):337–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buck, CE, Kenworthy, JB, Litton, CD, Smith, AFM. 1991. Combining archaeological and radiocarbon information: a Bayesian approach to calibration. Antiquity 65(249):808–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C, van der Plicht, J, Weninger, B. 2001. ‘Wiggle matching’ radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 43(2A):381–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calcagnile, L, Quarta, G. 2010. E/Q and ME/Q2 contributions to machine background in sequential injection radiocarbon AMS. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 268(7–8):830–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calcagnile, L, Quarta, G, D'Elia, M. 2005. High resolution accelerator-based mass spectrometry: precision, accuracy and background. Applied Radiation and Isotopes 62(4):623–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
D'Elia, M, Calcagnile, L, Quarta, G, Rizzo, A, Sanapo, C, Laudisa, M, Toma, U, Rizzo, A. 2004. Sample preparation and blank values at the AMS radiocarbon facility of the University of Lecce. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 223–224:278–83.Google Scholar
Eckstein, D, Bauch, J. 1969. Beitrag zur Rationaisirung eines dendrochronologischen Verfahrens und sur Analyse seiner Aussagericherheit. Forstwissenschaftlich Centralbatt 88:230–50. In German.Google Scholar
Feltrin, M, Marconi, S, Pezzo, MI, Rizzi Zorzi, J, Tecchiati, U. 2008. Indagini dendrocronologiche su alcuni edifici dell'età del Ferro recentemente scavati a Stufles (Bressanone/Brixen, Prov. Bolzano/Bozen),Via Elvas 12 e 16. Campagne di scavo 2007 e 2008. Annali del Museo Civico di Rovereto 24. p 95–122. In Italian.Google Scholar
Galimberti, M, Bronk Ramsey, C, Manning, SW. 2004. Wiggle-match dating of tree-ring sequences. Radiocarbon 46(2):917–24CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haneca, K, Čufar, K, Beeckman, H. 2009. Oaks, tree-rings and wooden cultural heritage: a review of the main characteristics and applications of oak dendrochronology in Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science 36(1):1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hollstein, E. 1980. Mitteleuropaische Eichenchronologie. Mainz am Rhein: Verlag Phillipp von Zabern.Google Scholar
Kuniholm, PI. 2001. Archaeological dendrochronology. Dendrochronologia 20(1–2):63–8.Google Scholar
Manning, SW, Weninger, B. 1992. A light in the dark: archaeological wiggle matching and the absolute chronology of the close of the Aegean Late Bronze Age. Antiquity 66(252):636–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manning, WS, Kromer, B, Kuniholm, PI, Newton, MW. 2001. Anatolian tree-rings and a new chronology for the East Mediterranean Bronze-Iron Ages. Science 294(5551):2532–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marconi, S, Pezzo, MI, Quarta, G, Tecchiati, U. 2007. Analisi dendrocronologica di reperti lignei provenienti dall'abitato della media età del Ferro di Laion/Lajen (Bolzano/Bozen). Annali del Museo Civico di Rovereto 23. p 73–88. In Italian.Google Scholar
Nicolussi, K, Kaufmann, M, Melivi, TM, van der Plicht, J, Schiessling, P, Thurner, A. 2009. A 9111 year long conifer tree-ring chronology for the European Alps: a base for environmental and climatic investigations. The Holocene 19(6):909–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pezzo, MI. 2009. Dendrochronological research at the Rosslauf (Brassanone, Italy). In: Manning, SW, Bruce, MJ, editors. Tree-Rings, Kings and Old World Archaeology and Environment. Oxford: Oxbow Books. p 51–7.Google Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Baillie, MGL, Bard, E, Bayliss, A, Beck, JW, Bertrand, CJH, Blackwell, PG, Buck, CE, Burr, GS, Cutler, KB, Damon, PE, Edwards, RL, Fairbanks, RG, Friedrich, M, Guilderson, TP, Hogg, AG, Hughen, KA, Kromer, B, McCormac, G, Manning, S, Bronk Ramsey, C, Reimer, RW, Remmele, S, Southon, JR, Stuiver, M, Talamo, S, Taylor, FW, van der Plicht, J, Weyhenmeyer, CE. 2004. IntCal04 terrestrial radiocarbon age calibration, 0–26 cal kyr BP. Radiocarbon 46(3):1029–58.Google Scholar
Rinn, F. 1996. TSAP, Time Series Analysis and Presentation. Version 3.0. Reference Manual. Heidelberg. URL: http://www.rinntech.de/.Google Scholar
Steier, P, Rom, W. 2000. The use of Bayesian statistics for 14C dates of chronologically ordered samples: a critical analysis. Radiocarbon 42(2):183–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M, Polach, HA. 1977. Discussion: reporting of 14C data. Radiocarbon 19(3):355–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vasiliev, SS, Bokovenko, NA, Chugunov, KA, Dergachev, VA, Sementsov, AA, Sljusarenko, JU, Zaitseva, GI. 2001. Tree ring, “wiggle-matching” and statistics in the chronological studies of Scythian Age sites in Asia. Geochronometria 20:61–8.Google Scholar