Abstract
Archival charcoal tree-ring segments from the Mississippian center of Kincaid Mounds provide chronometric information for the history of this important site. However, charcoal recovered from Kincaid was originally treated with a paraffin consolidant, a once common practice in American archaeology. This paper presents data on the efficacy of a solvent pretreatment protocol and new wiggle-matched 14C dates from the largest mound (Mound 10) at Kincaid. FTIR and 14C analysis on known-age charcoal intentionally contaminated with paraffin, as well as archaeological material, show that a chloroform pretreatment is effective at removing paraffin contamination. Wiggle-matched cutting dates from the final construction episodes on Mound 10 at Kincaid, indicate that the mound was used in the late 1300s with the construction of a unique structure on the apex occurring around 1390. This study demonstrates the potential for museum collections of archaeological charcoal to contribute high-resolution chronological information despite past conservation practices that complicate 14C dating.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 173-199 |
Number of pages | 27 |
Journal | Radiocarbon |
Volume | 65 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | Dec 23 2022 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 23 2023 |
Keywords
- ISAS
- 14C
- wiggle-match
- Kincaid paraffin
- FTIR
- C
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Archaeology