The prospects for establishing synchroneity in the early postglacial pollen peak of Juniperus in the British Isles

Tipping, Richard M. 1987 06 01: The prospects for establishing synchroneity in the early postglacial pollen peak of Juniperus in the British Isles. Boreas , Vol. 16, pp. 155–163. Oslo. ISSN 0300–9483.
Seventy radiocarbon assays on the early postglacial Juniperus pollen peak in the British Isles are collated in order to test the hypothesis that the expansion of Juniperus was synchronous in the British Isles. The necessity of screening this data base is discussed, as are the screening procedures adopted. A number of problems concerned with screening are highlighted, which are related to the paucity of information available from which to assess the reliability of a date. The accepted radiocarbon dates are analysed by computer-generated histograms. No clear pattern of synchroneity is found. The possibility of a diachronous distribution across the British Isles is examined. The methods employed in this study illustrate the problems of using large samples of radiocarbon dates, and exemplify the stringent procedures required in handling such data.