The use of dental crown heights for constructing age profiles of red deer and similar species in archaeological samples

The analysis of dental crown heights in a sample of known-age American Red deer (known in America as “elk”) has permitted the derivation of formulae for the prediction of age from crown height. The ages predicted from crown heights closely approximate true ages, when both predicted and true ages are grouped into broad, but still useful age classes. At least for the Red deer or “elk” dP₄, M₂ and M₃, age prediction formulae very similar to the empirically derived ones may be constructed by making certain hypothetical assumptions about the nature and rate of crown attrition. This suggests that these assumptions may be used to construct age prediction formulae in situations where an empirical relationship between age and crown height has not been or cannot be established. With certain provisos noted in the text, the age prediction formulae that result will probably provide reasonably reliable age profiles for the numerous ungulate species whose teeth are similar in structure to those of Red deer or “elk” and at least as hypsodont.     

Multi-method luminescence investigations on quartz grains of different sizes extracted from a loess section in Southeast Romania interbedding the Campanian Ignimbrite ash layer

In this study we present luminescence investigations of four samples of loess bracketing the Campanian Ignimbrite/Y5 tephra at the Rasova-Valea cu Pietre site, on the eastern bank of the Danube River, southeastern Romania. Investigations involved SAR-OSL dating on aliquots of fine (4–11 μm) and medium-grained (63–90 μm) quartz, as well as single grain analyses on 125–180 μm quartz. Luminescence dating results coupled with glass-shard chemical fingerprinting assign the depositional age and origin of the ash layer to that of the Campanian Ignimbrite/Y5 tephra, dated elsewhere using ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar to 39.28 ± 0.11 ka. Fine-grained (4–11 μm) quartz SAR-OSL analyses yielded ages of 44.4 ± 4.5 ka below the ash, and 41.4 ± 4.2 ka above the ash layer. Single grain analysis on coarse-grained quartz, however, demonstrates that coarse material from these samples exhibits low sensitivity and responds poorly to internal checks of the SAR protocol in comparison with the finer sediment. This observation highlights the need for more extensive investigations into the luminescence properties of quartz as well as into the origin of quartz contributions from different primary sources in the Lower Danube loess steppe.     

The Accidental Archaeology of the Fariss Hotel (Site 5PE576)

Historical Archaeology - The Fariss Hotel was never the focus of a research or curation design, was excavated as overburden, and became an orphan collection. However, the Fariss Hotel assemblage...