Problems associated with the AMS dating of small bone samples: the question of the arrival of Polynesian rats to New Zealand

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dc.contributor.authorHigham, Thomas F. G.
dc.contributor.authorHedges, Robert E M
dc.contributor.authorAnderson, Atholl
dc.contributor.authorRamsey, Christopher Bronk
dc.contributor.authorFankhauser, Barry L
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-13T23:09:51Z
dc.date.available2015-12-13T23:09:51Z
dc.date.issued2004
dc.date.updated2015-12-12T08:21:00Z
dc.description.abstractWe have AMS dated samples of Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) bone "collagen" and filtered gelatin samples from the prehistoric site of Shag River Mouth, New Zealand. The age of occupation of this site has previously been determined based on 50 radiocarbon measurements. The site dates to the late Archaic phase of southern New Zealand prehistory (about 650-500 BP; 14th-15th century AD). The results of rat bones which we have dated produce a range in ages, from about 980-480 BP, a difference we attribute to a combination of effects. Pretreatment appears to be an important variable, with results showing differences in 14C age between the progressive "collagen" and filtered gelatin chemical treatment stages. Amino acid profiles suggest there is a proteinaceous but non-collagenous contaminant which is removed by the more rigorous pretreatment. Stable isotopes vary between pretreatments, supporting the removal of a contaminant, or contaminants. Variation in δ15N values imply a range in uptake of dietary protein, and might suggest a potential influence from the local aquatic environment or the consumption of marine-derived protein. Rats are opportunistic, omnivorous mammals, and, therefore, obtain carbon from a variety of reservoirs and so we ought to expect that in environments where there is a variety of reservoirs, these will be exploited. Taken together, the results show that rat bone AMS 14C determinations vary in comparison with the established age of the site, but are in notably better agreement with non-collagenous data than in previously published determinations (Anderson 1996).
dc.identifier.issn0033-8222
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/87190
dc.publisherUniversity of Arizona
dc.sourceRadiocarbon
dc.subjectKeywords: amino acid; carbon 14; collagen; gelatin; nitrogen 15; protein; stable isotope; accelerator mass spectrometry; accuracy assessment; bone; migration; radiocarbon dating; rodent; accelerator mass spectrometry; age determination; animal tissue; aquatic envir
dc.titleProblems associated with the AMS dating of small bone samples: the question of the arrival of Polynesian rats to New Zealand
dc.typeJournal article
local.bibliographicCitation.issue1
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage218
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage207
local.contributor.affiliationHigham, Thomas F. G., University of Oxford
local.contributor.affiliationHedges, Robert E M, University of Oxford
local.contributor.affiliationAnderson, Atholl, College of Asia and the Pacific, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationRamsey, Christopher Bronk, University of Oxford
local.contributor.affiliationFankhauser, Barry L, College of Asia and the Pacific, ANU
local.contributor.authoremailu9309509@anu.edu.au
local.contributor.authoruidAnderson, Atholl, u9309509
local.contributor.authoruidFankhauser, Barry L, u880554
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.description.refereedYes
local.identifier.absfor210102 - Archaeological Science
local.identifier.ariespublicationMigratedxPub16371
local.identifier.citationvolume46
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-3543140159
local.identifier.uidSubmittedByMigrated
local.type.statusPublished Version

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