DIACHRON · Assessing the effect of diagenesis on dateable materials: implications for the chronology of the Levantine Middle Palaeolithic
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2022-09-01 → 2024-08-31
- EU contribution
- €173,464
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Assessing the effect of diagenesis on dateable materials: implications for the chronology of the Levantine Middle Palaeolithic
The Levant is a key area to study past human dynamics: due to its strategic position, connecting Africa to Europe and Asia, it has been the main route of the most ancient dispersals of modern humans out of Africa and a privileged environment for Neanderthal occupation. It is known that several human species occupied this area between around 200,000 and 40,000 years, including our own species, Homo sapiens, during the so-called cultural period of the Middle Palaeolithic. For sites older than 50,000 years, beyond the range of radiocarbon, trapped-charge dating methods such as combined electron spin resonance/uranium-series (ESR/U-series) dating of fossil tooth enamel and luminescence dating of sediment are commonly applied to date prehistoric occupations. They are based on the property of the mineral (carbonate hydroxyapatite for ESR, quartz and feldspars for luminescence) to record a dose of ionising rays produced from radioactive disintegrations in the sample and the sediment and from cosmic rays. The dose absorbed is a function of the burial time and radioactivity: minerals can be dated by dividing the total dose absorbed by the sample since burial (the “equivalent dose”) by the annual dose (or “dose rate”) measured in the field and in the laboratory. However, little is known about how much diagenesis, which are the physico-chemical processes that cause alteration in a material after burial, may affect the age results. The DIACHRON project is based on an innovative approach combining material characterisation and dating. It aims at investigating the degree of preservation of the sample using characterisation tools such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, to evaluate the effect of diagenesis on age determinations. DIACHRON meant to provide a high-resolution chronological framework for Palaeolithic occupation in the Levant, to shed more light into questions related to migration routes, adaptation to climate change, social interactions, technological and subsistence behaviour of past human populations.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The Levant is a key area to study past human dynamics: due to its strategic position, connecting Africa to Europe and Asia, it has been the main route of the most ancient dispersals of modern humans out of Africa and a privileged environment for Neanderthal occupation. This project is focused on improving the chronology of Middle Palaeolithic sites in Israel using a comparative approach based on independent dating methods such as electron spin resonance of tooth enamel, thermoluminescence of burnt flint and luminescence of sediments. Their application requires in-depth knowledge of the preservation state of the sample and its macro- and micro-sedimentary contexts, which might affect the accuracy and the resolution of the chronological data. This comparative approach will take into account the impact of diagenetic processes on both dateable materials and sedimentary context. Characterisation methods (e.g., Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy) will be applied prior to dating in order to assess the degree of alteration and evaluate its effect on age determinations. The DIACHRON project will be hosted in one of the world’s leading multidisciplinary research institutions, the Weizmann Institute of Science. It will be implemented at the Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science, which has been home to the development of sample and context characterisation. The chronological aspect of the project will benefit from the collaboration with the partner institution, the Geological Survey of Israel, which is internationally recognised in luminescence dating. Open access publications, participation to conferences and science outreach activities will be the core of the dissemination strategy. The training provided will integrate the researcher in the field of material characterisation and would contribute to developing a unique interdisciplinary profile combining the knowledge of several dating methods, with clear benefits for the career development of the fellow.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE · RehovotCoordinatorIsrael
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union