Revised marine reservoir offset (ΔR) values for molluscs and marine mammals from Arctic North America

Appropriate marine–terrestrial reservoir offset (ΔR) values are essential for accurate calibration of marine radiocarbon dates. However, ΔR values are only valid for the specific calibration curve that their calculation is based on. Here, we present revised ΔR values for the Marine20 calibration curve from Arctic North America, based on previously published ¹⁴C dates on pre-bomb live-collected marine molluscs (n = 124) and cetaceans (beluga whales; tooth dentine; n = 12), and bowhead whale–driftwood age comparisons from the same glacio-isostatically uplifted shorelines (n = 18). Molluscan-based ΔR are: Chukchi/Beaufort sea coasts, 265±116 ¹⁴C years; NW Canadian Arctic Archipelago, 188±91 ¹⁴C years; NE Baffin Island, 81±18 ¹⁴C years; SE Baffin Island, 14±58 ¹⁴C years; Hudson Strait, −73±64 ¹⁴C years; Ungava Bay, 0±86 ¹⁴C years; Foxe Basin, 175±89 ¹⁴C years; Hudson Bay, −21±72 ¹⁴C years; James Bay, 209±114 ¹⁴C years; West Greenland, −93±111 ¹⁴C years. Species-specific marine mammal ΔR terms are 107±59 ¹⁴C years for beluga and 24±58 ¹⁴C years for bowheads. Our revised ΔR values are applicable for as long as the same broad oceanographic conditions (circulation, ventilation) have persisted, i.e. through the Holocene. While molluscan values are applicable to other marine carbonate (e.g. foraminifera), cetacean ΔR are valid only for the species they were calculated for and should not be applied to other marine mammals. Importantly, the ΔR terms calculated here are only valid for Marine20 and should not be used with earlier or later calibration curves.     

Holocene molluscs from archaeological sites of the Pampean region of Argentina: Approaches to past human uses

The aim of this study is to provide a regional review and update our knowledge of molluscan records from Late Quaternary (12.2–0.4 ka B.P.) archaeological sites of the Pampean region. Comparisons with molluscs from the modern littoral, Holocene beach ridges, and estuarine sediments are made, allowing a synthesis of the main taxa recovered and reinterpretations of the probable past human uses. Overall, the biological and archaeological data gathered reinforce the conclusion that most taxa living far from the intertidal zone were not linked to subsistence of Pampean hunter‐gatherers. However, sporadic consumption cannot be discarded, considering the sea‐level changes during the Holocene. Other uses including ornamentation, containers, tools, or symbolic meaning can be assigned to marine molluscs which were probably collected as dead shells from the fossil deposits or from the contemporary beach. Selection of the shells by humans related mainly to shell size, shape, and color, and not to their nutritional value. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Sedimentation in a fluvially infilling, barrier-bound estuary on a wave-dominated, microtidal coast: the Ouémé River estuary, Benin, west Africa

The Ouémé River estuary is located on the seasonally humid tropical coast of Benin, west Africa. A striking feature of this microtidal estuary is the presence of a large sand barrier bounding a 120 km² circular central basin, Lake Nokoué, that is being infilled by heterogeneous fluvial deposits supplied by a relatively large catchment (50 000 km²). Borehole cores from the lower estuary show basal Pleistocene lowstand alluvial sediments overlain by Holocene transgressive–highstand lagoonal mud and by transgressive to probably early highstand tidal inlet and flood‐tidal delta sand deposited in association with non‐preserved transgressive sand barriers. The change in estuary‐mouth sedimentation from a transgressive barrier‐inlet system to a regressive highstand barrier reflects regional modifications in marine sand supply and in the cross‐barrier tidal flux associated with barrier‐inlet systems. As barrier formation west of the Ouémé River led to an increasingly rectilinear shoreline, the longshore drift cell matured, ensuring voluminous eastward transport of sand from the Volta Delta in Ghana, the major purveyor of sand, to the Ouémé embayment, 200 km east. Concomitantly, the number of tidal inlets, and the tidal flux associated with a hitherto interlinked lagoonal system on this coast, diminished. Complete sealing of Lake Nokoué has produced a large, permanently closed estuary, where tidal intrusion is assured through the interconnected coastal lagoon via an inlet located 60 km east. Since 1885, tides have entered the estuary directly through an artificial outlet cut across the sand barrier. Although precluding the seaward loss of fluvial sediments, permanent estuary‐mouth closure has especially deprived the highstand estuary of marine sand, a potentially important component in estuarine infill on wave‐dominated coasts. In spite of a significant fluvial sediment supply, estuarine infill has been moderate, because of the size of the central basin. Estuarine closure has resulted in two co‐existing highstand sediment suites, with limited admixture, the marine‐derived, estuary‐mouth barrier and upland‐derived back‐barrier sediments. This situation differs from that of mature barrier estuaries characterized by active fluvial‐marine sediment mixing and facies interfingering.     

Extreme wind gust hazard in Australia and its sensitivity to climate change

For consideration of structural design of buildings and infrastructure in Australia, this paper presents hazard modelling and mapping of extreme wind gusts under the current climate and likely future climate change. Statistical and probabilistic approaches are applied to analyse the daily extreme wind gust data recorded between 1939 and 2007 at 545 anemometer stations around Australia. The estimated hazards are compared with the regional design wind speeds specified by the structural design standard, AS/NZS 1170.2:2011. Our results indicate that, under the current climate, structures in the areas on the west of and around Brisbane, Queensland and Newcastle, New South Wales, may be under higher gust hazard than they are designed for. Sensitivity study shows that these areas are also sensitive to the projected synoptic wind intensity changes. When subjected to ±20 % intensity change and ±50 % occurrence frequency change of tropical cyclones, the northwest coast of Western Australia, the northern part of Northern Territory, and the northeast coast between Cairns and Townsville, Queensland, will experience around ±10 m/s changes in extreme wind gust speeds of 500-year return period.     

A Predictive Model for Locating Early Holocene Archaeological Sites Based on Raised Shell‐Bearing Strata in Southeast Alaska,USA

A predictive model for locating early Holocene archaeological sites in southern Southeast Alaska was developed based on shell‐bearing raised marine deposits. Fieldwork included coring of select‐raised marine strata, measuring their elevations, and radiocarbon dating the associated shell samples within the cores. A subset of the data was used to produce a relative sea‐level curve spanning the Holocene. The relative sea‐level curve suggests that sites favorable for habitation between 9200 and 7000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. should be found 16–22 ± 1 m above present zero tide. The sea‐level curve and new high‐resolution digital elevation models allowed reconstruction of past shorelines at various elevations. Surveys to test the model found and recorded over 70 archaeological sites from present sea level up to 32 m above present zero tide. Eleven new sites were within the targeted elevation range and radiocarbon dated to 9280–6890 ¹⁴C yr B.P. Initial investigations indicate these older sites are rich in microblade and pebble tool technology. The new early Holocene sites indicate more extensive early maritime settlement of Alaska than implied by previous studies and contribute to our understanding of the early movement of people into North America.     

Geomorphological evolution of the River Loukkos estuary around the Phoenician city of Lixus on the Atlantic Littoral of Morocco

The ancient city of Lixus, today situated on a hill on the right bank of the River Loukkos, 4km from the coast, was founded on the shore of a brackish lagoon that was sheltered from Atlantic storms. This geographical context provided the city with one of the best Phoenician harbors and abundant fishing resources, and allowed access to the Gharb cattle farming resources and cereal production systems. In this study, the historical evolution of the Loukkos estuarine environment is reconstructed through geomorphological and sedimentological analyses, combined with cartographic, archaeological, and geographical data. The outcomes reveal the progressive infilling of the estuarine lagoon of Lixus and its transformation into the current estuary and floodplain. The recent history of this estuary records four successive stages: (1) an initial stage associated with the maximum Holocene marine transgression (5500 to 5320 cal. yr B.P.) that reached the interior of the estuary; (2) a sheltered brackish tidal lagoon stage in Phoenician and Roman times; (3) a period of progressive infilling of the estuarine lagoon, from late Roman times to the Middle Ages (11th to15th centuries); (4) a period of rapid expansion of intertidal marshes (17th to 19th centuries) that saw the formation of the modern estuarine plain and meandering channel system (20th century). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Hunter‐gatherer response to late Holocene climatic variability in northern and central Australia

Sum probability analysis of 1275 radiometric ages from 608 archaeological sites across northern and central Australia demonstrates a changing archaeological signature that can be closely correlated with climate variability over the last 2 ka. Results reveal a marked increase in archaeological records across northern and central Australia over the last 2 ka, with notable declines in western and northern Australia between ca. AD 700 and 1000 and post‐AD 1500 – two periods broadly coeval with the Medieval Climatic Anomaly and the Little Ice Age as they have been documented in the Asia–Pacific region. Latitudinal and longitudinal analysis of the dataset suggests the increase in archaeological footprint was continent wide, while the declines were greatest from 9 to 20° S, 110 to 135° E and 143 to 150° E. The change in the archaeological data suggests that, combined with an increase in population over the late Holocene, a disruption or reorganisation of pre‐European resource systems occurred across Australia between ca. AD 700 and 1000 and post‐AD 1500. These archaeological responses can be broadly correlated with transitions of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) mean state on a multi‐decadal to centennial timescale. The latter involve a shift towards the La Niña‐like mean state with wetter conditions in the Australian region between AD 700 and 1150. A transition period in ENSO mean state occurred across Australia during AD 1150–1300, with persistent El Niño‐like and drier conditions to ca. AD 1500, and increasing ENSO variability post‐AD 1500 to the present. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate,fire and vegetation history from subtropical North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), eastern Australia,during the last three interglacials

Records of Australian palaeoclimate beyond the last glacial cycle are rare, limiting detailed analysis of long-term climate trends and associated ecosystem responses. This study analyses a discontinuous pollen and charcoal record from Fern Gully Lagoon, North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), subtropical Queensland, Australia, which covers much of the last ~210 ,000 years. Climate variation is inferred from changes in vegetation, while analysis of micro- and macrocharcoal is used to infer fire activity. Pollen assemblages consist of ~40% rainforest taxa during marine isotope stage (MIS) 7a–c and early MIS 5. These are inferred to result from high rainfall in the Australian subtropics, which was also evident in north-east and central Australia. Human impact from 21 ,000 years ago likely supressed post-MIS 2 rainforest expansion to some extent. However, the increased Holocene abundance of herbs and grasses and reduced representation of aquatic taxa suggest that the Holocene was relatively dry when compared with early MIS 5 and MIS 7a–c. Similar MIS 5 and early MIS 7a–c climates, in contrast to a notably drier Holocene, suggest that the progressive interglacial drying trend most strongly recorded in central Australia was not a major feature of subtropical eastern Australian climates.     

Using sulfur isotopes to determine the sources of vermillion in ancient burial mounds in Japan

This study represents an attempt to determine the sources of vermillion found in ancient Japanese burial mounds of the 1st–6th centuries A.D., by comparing their ratios of sulfur isotopes with those of cinnabar ore samples collected in Japan and China. Cinnabar ore samples were taken from three mines in central Japan (Niu in Mie, Yamato in Nara, and Sui in Tokushima prefectures), and from Wanshan in China, where mining activity has been recorded back to the 6th century A.D. and earlier. When the ratios of a ³⁴S and ³²S were compared with the Canyon Diablo meteorite standard, a high δ³⁴S value of +22.6 ± 3.6‰ was found for the Wanshan mine, as opposed to low values ranging from −7.3 ± 1.9 to −2.1 ± 1.6‰ for the Japanese mines. The ratios of sulfur isotopes in vermillion collected from ancient Japanese burial mounds also divided into two groups. High ratios (+11.1 to +22.8‰) were found in 1st‐ and 2nd‐ century burials in the western regions of northern Kyushu and San'in, suggesting that local, powerful chiefs obtained vermillion through relations with China. Lower ratios (−8.4 to −2.0‰) were found in burials of the 2nd through 6th centuries in central Japan, where the ancient Yamato dynasty emerged as the first unified polity around the end of the 2nd century A.D. We, therefore, conclude that the Yamato dynasty exploited local sources of vermillion, rather than depending solely on China. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of determining sources of vermillion using sulfur isotope ratios, and the relevance of such findings for archaeological research. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Contribution of estuaries to commercial fisheries in temperate Western Australia and the concept of estuarine dependence

Fisheries catch statistics for temperate Western Australia are considered in conjunction with life cycle data to elucidate the importance of estuaries to the commercial and recreational fisheries in this region. The data are used to discuss whether the term estuarine-dependent is strictly applicable to all species of finfish found in abundance in estuaries. Between 1976 and 1984, 96 species of finfish, 7 species of crustaceans and 12 species of mollusks contributed to the large commercial fishery in estuaries, protected coastal areas and open marine waters of temperate Western Australia. The mean annual weight and monetary value (in 1984 terms) of this fishery was 21,355 t and $A151.3×10⁶. The contribution of the weight (4,340 t) and value ($A3.7×10⁶) of the estuarine-dependent species to the total fishery was 20.3 and 2.4%, respectively. Estuarine-dependent marine species frequently use protected inshore waters in temperate Western Australia, and have to do so when they occur in subtropical regions in Western Australia where there are no permanent estuaries. Even the semi-anadromous Perth herring and some species which are estuarinesensu stricto in south-western Australia complete their life cycle within the marine waters of this latter more northern region. Since virtually none of the commercially important marine species in temperate Western Australia can be considered to be entirely dependent on estuaries, and a similar conclusion is valid for many species of marine teleosts found in abundance in estuaries in temperate waters elsewhere in the world, these marine species would be best regarded as estuarine opportunists rather than estuarine dependents.     

Sulphur,organic carbon and iron relationships in estuarine and freshwater sediments: effects of sedimentation rate

Concentrations of S, organic C and Fe were investigated in profiles of sediments from two estuarine systems in the SW of Western Australia. In marine-affected sediments, inorganic S dominates total S and concentrations of total S correlate with Fe and not with organic C. In freshwater sediments, organic S dominates total S and concentrations of total S correlate with organic C and not with Fe. Molar Fe/S ratios in the estuarine sediments decrease with increasing salinity and approach unity for marine conditions. Net accumulation rates of S in sediments were estimated with a numerical computer model, calibrated with published data on profiles of marine sediments for diffusion of SO²⁻₄, sedimentation rates and distributions of S. Measured depth-integrated reduction rates of SO²⁻₄ in the marine-affected estuarine sediments approach those obtained for Fe-limited marine conditions at similar rates of sedimentation. Measured concentrations of inorganic S in anoxic freshwater sediments fit a numerically calculated relationship between inorganic S and sedimentation rate.     

Coastal paleogeography and human occupation of the Western Alaska Peninsula

Geological and archaeological investigations on the western Alaska Peninsula establish relationships between postglacial sea level changes and regional settlement patterns, which are linked to the spatial and temporal distribution of marine and estuarine resources. Isostatic emergence dominated relative sea‐level changes since deglaciation, but erosional landforms and gaps in the archaeological record suggest that site preservation has varied because of the interplay of eustatic sea level rise, isostatic uplift, and tectonic deformation. Coastal subsidence associated with a major earthquake about 2200 yr B.P. is linked with a 300‐year hiatus in the regional archaeological record. A shift from estuarine to littoral and offshore resources following this period demonstrates the impact of such dynamic sea level fluctuations on the shape and biological productivity of the coastal zone. However, changes in village organization, house form, and subsistence base that define several archaeological phases arise from both environmental and sociopolitical instability. Models of culture change should accommodate local and regional geological boundary conditions in the North Pacific and similarly dynamic settings. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Passive-margin prolonged volcanism,East Australian Plate: outbursts,progressions, plate controls and suggested causes

Prolonged intraplate volcanism along the 4000 km-long East Australian margin for ca 100 Ma raises many genetic questions. Studies of the age-progressive pulses embedded in general basaltic activity have spawned a host of models. Zircon U–Pb dating of inland Queensland central volcanoes gives a stronger database to consider the structure and origin of Australian age-progressive volcanic chains. This assists appraisal of this volcanism in relation to plate motion and plate margin tectonic models. Inland Queensland central volcanoes progressed south-southeast from 34 to 31 Ma (～5.4 cm/yr) until a surge in activity led to irregular southerly progression 31 to 28 Ma. A new inland southeastern Queensland central volcano line (25 to 22 Ma), from Bunya Mountains to North Main Range, followed 3 Ma behind the adjacent coastal progression. The Australian and Tasman Sea age-progressive chains are compared against recent plate motion modelling (Indian Ocean hotspots). The chain lines differ from general vector traces owing to west-facing swells and cessations in activity. Tectonic processes on the eastern plate margin may regulate these irregularities. These include subduction, rapid roll-back and progressive detachment of the Loyalty slab (43 to 15 Ma). West-flowing Pacific-type asthenosphere, related to perturbed mantle convection, may explain the west-facing volcanic surges. Such westward Pacific flow for over 28 Ma is known at the Australian–Antarctic Discordance, southeast of the present Australian plume sites under Bass Strait–West Tasman Sea. Most basaltic activity along eastern Australia marks asthenospheric melt injections into Tasman rift zone mantle and not lithospheric plate speed. The young (post-10 Ma) fields (Queensland, Victoria–South Australia) reflect new plate couplings, which altered mantle convection and stress regimes. These areas receive asthenospheric inputs from deep thermal zones off northeast Queensland and under Bass Strait.     

Evidence of early Flandrian tidal surges in Lower Strathearn,Scotland

Detailed stratigraphic, palaeobotanical (diatom and pollen) and radiometric evidence from a sequence of buried estuarine deposits, buried peat and overlying estuarine ‘carse’ deposits at Wester Rhynd, in Lower Strathearn, suggests the occurrence of two brief marine incursions between the abandonment by the sea of a buried estuarine flat, probably the Low Buried Beach, at about 8765 ± 75 BP, and c. 8500 BP. The first incursion, shortly after 8565 ± 85 BP, caused bottom-living marine diatoms to be thrown without clastic material onto the rapidly accumulating terrestrial peat. The second, bracketed by dates of 8485 ± 80 and 8510 ± 85 BP, deposited an extremely thin (1 mm) layer of fine sand that interrupts an otherwise unbroken buried peat succession covering the period 8765 ± 75 to 7710 ± 70 BP. The marine diatom, lithostratigraphic and ¹⁴C evidence together are consistent with a storm, storm-surge or tsunami origin for these events, which are recognised principally from the diatom evidence, having left no mark in the pollen record.     

Coastal paleogeography and human land use at Tecolote Canyon,southern California,U.S.A.

A buried archaeological site at Tecolote Canyon provides an ideal case study for relating past human land use patterns to changes in coastal paleogeography. Postglacial sea level transgression, erosion, and other marine and fluvial processes form the context for examining two deeply buried archaeological components excavated at CA‐SBA‐72. Archaeological shellfish assemblages provide proxy data for evaluating the evolution of local marine environments. Pismo clams dominate shellfish assemblages dated to 5800 cal yr B.P., suggesting the presence of a broad and sandy, high‐energy beach environment. At 5500 cal yr B.P., the almost exclusive use of California mussels by humans signals the development of rocky intertidal habitats. During the late Holocene, estuarine species dominate the marine mollusk assemblages at CA‐SBA‐72, reflecting the development of local estuarine conditions or trade with nearby Goleta Slough villages. The buried components at Tecolote Canyon appear to have served as temporary camps for shellfish harvesting and processing. While general changes in coastal paleogeography and human subsistence have been reconstructed for the Santa Barbara Coast, high resolution ecological data from Tecolote Canyon suggest that Native peoples also adapted to localized and shorter‐term shifts in intertidal habitats, changes not evident in most larger or more disturbed surface sites in the region. Linking these changes with shifts in human land use patterns highlights the interaction between humans and a dynamic coastal system. These data demonstrate the importance of small, buried sites in understanding the full spectrum of human subsistence and settlement choices and local environmental change. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Iron isotopic systematics of UHP eclogites respond to oxidizing fluid during exhumation

The iron stable isotope compositions (δ⁵⁶Fe) and iron valence states of ultrahigh‐pressure eclogites from Bixiling in the Dabie orogen belt, China, were measured to trace the changes of geochemical conditions during vertical transportation of earth materials, for example, oxygen fugacity. The bulk Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios of retrograde eclogites, determined by Mössbauer spectroscopy, are consistently higher than those of fresh eclogites, suggesting oxidation during retrograde metamorphism and fluid infiltration. The studied eclogites (five samples) display limited mid‐ocean ridge basalts (MORB)‐like (~0.10‰) δ⁵⁶Fe values, which are indistinguishable from their protoliths, that is, gabbro cumulates formed through differentiation of mantle‐derived basaltic magma. This suggests that Fe isotope fractionation during continental subduction is limited. Garnet separates display limited δ⁵⁶Fe variation ranging from ?0.08 ± 0.07 ‰ to 0.02 ± 0.07‰, whereas coexisting omphacite displays a large variation of δ⁵⁶Fe values from 0.15 ± 0.07‰ to 0.47 ± 0.07‰. Omphacite also has highly variable Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios from 0.367 ± 0.025 to 0.598 ± 0.024, indicating modification after peak metamorphism. Omphacite from retrograde eclogites has elevated Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios (0.54–0.60) compared to that from fresh eclogites (~0.37), whereas garnet displays a narrow range of ferric iron content with Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios from 0.039 ± 0.013 to 0.065 ± 0.022. The homogenous δ⁵⁶Fe values and Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios of garnet suggest that it survived the retrograde metamorphism and preserved its Fe‐isotopic features and ferric contents of peak metamorphism. Because of similar diffusion rates of Fe and Mg in garnet and omphacite, and constant Δ²⁶Mg_{omphacite‐garnet} values (1.14 ± 0.04‰), equilibrium iron isotope fractionation between garnet and omphacite was probably achieved during peak metamorphism. Elevated Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios of omphacite from retrograde eclogites and variant Δ⁵⁶Fe_{omphacite‐garnet} values of the studied eclogites (0.13 ± 0.10‰ to 0.48 ± 0.10‰) indicate that oxidized geofluid infiltration resulted in the elevation of δ⁵⁶Fe values of omphacite during retrograde metamorphism.     

Pliocene sedimentation in a shallow, cool-water, estuarine gulf, Murray Basin, South Australia

The Pliocene Norwest Bend Formation is a well‐preserved succession of terrestrial and shallow‐marine deposits in the Murray Basin, South Australia. Sediments in this unit consist of two discrete terrigenous clastic‐rich, decametre‐scale sequences, or informal members, which record episodes of marine incursion during the Early and Late Pliocene respectively. The base of each sequence is a transgressive lag and/or strandline deposit that is transitional upwards into a highstand, subtidal, terrigenous clastic and cool‐water carbonate sediment accumulation. The top of each sequence is incised by fluvial channels that are filled by river deposits which formed as relative sea‐level fell and terrestrial environments prograded basinward. Sedimentological data suggest that gross stratigraphic architecture was primarily determined by glacioeustasy. Differences in sedimentary style between these two sequences, however, reflect a major climatic change that took place in southern Australia during the mid‐Pliocene. The lower quartzose sand member is formed of siliciclastic sediment derived from prolonged, deep, subaerial weathering and contains a bivalve‐dominated, cool‐temperate, open‐marine mollusc assemblage. These sediments accumulated under an equitable, relatively warm, humid climate. The Murray Basin during this time, because of high fluvial discharge, was a salt‐wedge estuary with typical estuarine circulation. In contrast, the upper, oyster‐rich member is typified by large monospecific oyster buildups that grew in restricted coastal environments. Strandline deposits contain a warm‐temperate skeletal assemblage. Contemporaneous aeolian sediments accumulated under warm, semi‐arid climatic conditions. Well‐developed ferricrete, silcrete and calcrete horizons reflect cyclic conditions of rainwater infiltration and evaporation in the seasonally dry climate that typifies southern Australia today. Highly seasonal rainfall produced an estuary that fluctuated annually from being well to partially mixed. These Pliocene sediments support the notion that mollusc‐rich facies are the signature of cool‐water carbonate accumulations in inboard neritic environments. Unlike bryozoans that dominate the outer parts of Cenozoic cool‐water carbonate shelves, molluscs evolved to exploit an array of coastal ecosystems with wide salinity variations and variable sedimentation rates.     

Fine mesh screening of midden material and the recovery of fish bone: The development of flotation and deflocculation techniques for an efficient and effective procedure

The absence of fish remains in archaeological sites in Moreton Bay, southeast Queensland, Australia, may be a function of recovery techniques, rather than a reflection of resource paucity and late onset of occupation, as has been posited in archaeological literature. An excavation on Peel Island in Moreton Bay was devised, in part, to test this proposition, and a 1‐mm mesh screen was used to enhance recovery. But sorting this fine fraction took 20 h. In this article we outline experiments to find a more efficient and effective technique for sieving and sorting fine fraction archaeological deposits, using methods borrowed from soil science. We show how sorting time can be reduced to 2 h 30 min per 100 g sample and argue that the vast increase in knowledge about the site occurring as a result of using the very fine mesh sieve warrants the continued application of these laboratory methods. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Deglacial reservoir age and implications,Foxe Peninsula,Baffin Island

Marine reservoir age is reported for Foxe Basin, Canada, during deglaciation of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Radiocarbon (¹⁴C) measurements were made on pairs of contemporaneous molluscs and Salix (willow) macrofossils, yielding a mean marine reservoir age of 985 ± 10 ¹⁴C a. Mean regional ΔR is calculated to be 615 ± 20 ¹⁴C a relative to a mean global reservoir age of ca. 400 ¹⁴C a. Previous studies in the Canadian Arctic that have been conducted on modern pre‐bomb molluscs give ΔR values of ca. 100–300 ¹⁴C a. The difference between modern and deglacial reservoir ages indicates that ΔR in Foxe Basin has changed over time, which has implications for the reconstruction of past events based on marine ¹⁴C dates. We recalculate the timing of deglaciation of Hudson Strait with this new reservoir age and relate this to the 8.2 cal. ka event. We recommend that local ΔR be determined for the time period being examined whenever possible, and that in cases where this is impossible a ΔR value of 615 ¹⁴C a be applied when calibrating marine samples from Foxe Basin and vicinity during deglaciation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solubility of ettringite (Ca6[Al(OH)6]2(SO4)3 · 26H2O) at 5–75°C

The solubility of ettringite (Ca₆[Al(OH)₆]₂(SO₄)₃ · 26H₂O) was measured in a series of dissolution and precipitation experiments at 5–75°C and at pH between 10.5 and 13.0 using synthesized material. Equilibrium was established within 4 to 6 days, with samples collected between 10 and 36 days. The log K_SP for the reaction Ca₆[Al(OH)₆]₂(SO₄)₃ · 26H₂O ⇌ 6Ca²⁺ + 2Al(OH)₄⁻ + 3SO₄²⁻ + 4OH⁻ + 26H₂O at 25°C calculated for dissolution experiments (−45.0 ± 0.2) is not significantly different from the log K_SP calculated for precipitation experiments (−44.8 ± 0.4) at the 95% confidence level. There is no apparent trend in log K_SP with pH and the mean log K_SP,298 is −44.9 ± 0.3. The solubility product decreased linearly with the inverse of temperature indicating a constant enthalpy of reaction from 5 to 75°C. The enthalpy and entropy of reaction ΔH^°_r and ΔS^°_r, were determined from the linear regression to be 204.6 ± 0.6 kJ mol⁻¹ and 170 ± 38 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. Using our values for log K_SP, ΔH^°_r, and ΔS^°_r and published partial molal quantities for the constituent ions, we calculated the free energy of formation ΔG^°_f,298, the enthalpy of formation ΔH^°_f,298, and the entropy of formation ΔS^°_f,298 to be −15211 ± 20, −17550 ± 16 kJ mol⁻¹, and 1867 ± 59 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. Assuming ΔC_P,r is zero, the heat capacity of ettringite is 590 ± 140 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹.