Archaeological surfaces in western NSW: stratigraphic contexts and preliminary OSL dating of hearths

Edward J. Rhodes; Patricia Fanning; Simon Holdaway; Cynthja Bolton

Archaeological surfaces in western NSW

stratigraphic contexts and preliminary OSL dating of hearths

Edward J. Rhodes, Patricia Fanning, Simon Holdaway, Cynthja Bolton

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

60 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

A two-phase process for developing a chronology of Aboriginal occupation in arid western NSW, Australia, has been developed over the past ten years by the Western NSW Archaeology Program. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the remains of heat-retainer hearths, built by Aboriginal people in the past to cook food, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments have been used to construct a chronology of ‘archaeological surfaces’. Here we provide preliminary age estimates using OSL dating of stones from heat-retainer hearths which have previously been dated by radiocarbon. Our method is novel in several ways including the rapid preparation method adopted and the approach to estimating the dose rate for surface samples. We discuss the limitations of this virtually non-destructive and efficient OSL dating method, and provide an agenda for future technical development and application.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	New directions in archaeological science
Editors	Andrew Fairbairn, Sue O'Connor, Ben Marwick
Place of Publication	Canberra, Australia
Publisher	ANU E Press
Pages	189-200
Number of pages	12
ISBN (Print)	9781921536489
Publication status	Published - 2009

Publication series

Name	Terra Australis
Publisher	ANU E Press
Volume	28

Fingerprint

Bibliographical note

Copyright retained by author(s). Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author and according to publisher conditions. For further reproduction rights please contact the publisher at http://epress.anu.edu.au/

Keywords

Archaeological surfaces
OSL dating
heat-retainer hearths
Western NSW

Cite this

Rhodes, E. J., Fanning, P., Holdaway, S., & Bolton, C. (2009). Archaeological surfaces in western NSW: stratigraphic contexts and preliminary OSL dating of hearths. In A. Fairbairn, S. O'Connor, & B. Marwick (Eds.), New directions in archaeological science (pp. 189-200). (Terra Australis; Vol. 28). Canberra, Australia: ANU E Press.

@inbook{16f3401dad2f4b4b8b1d7a3e6d269f9e,

title = "Archaeological surfaces in western NSW: stratigraphic contexts and preliminary OSL dating of hearths",

abstract = "A two-phase process for developing a chronology of Aboriginal occupation in arid western NSW, Australia, has been developed over the past ten years by the Western NSW Archaeology Program. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the remains of heat-retainer hearths, built by Aboriginal people in the past to cook food, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments have been used to construct a chronology of ‘archaeological surfaces’. Here we provide preliminary age estimates using OSL dating of stones from heat-retainer hearths which have previously been dated by radiocarbon. Our method is novel in several ways including the rapid preparation method adopted and the approach to estimating the dose rate for surface samples. We discuss the limitations of this virtually non-destructive and efficient OSL dating method, and provide an agenda for future technical development and application.",

keywords = "Archaeological surfaces, OSL dating, heat-retainer hearths, Western NSW",

author = "Rhodes, {Edward J.} and Patricia Fanning and Simon Holdaway and Cynthja Bolton",

note = "Copyright retained by author(s). Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author and according to publisher conditions. For further reproduction rights please contact the publisher at http://epress.anu.edu.au/",

year = "2009",

language = "English",

isbn = "9781921536489",

series = "Terra Australis",

publisher = "ANU E Press",

pages = "189--200",

editor = "Andrew Fairbairn and Sue O'Connor and Ben Marwick",

booktitle = "New directions in archaeological science",

address = "Australia",

}

Archaeological surfaces in western NSW : stratigraphic contexts and preliminary OSL dating of hearths. / Rhodes, Edward J.; Fanning, Patricia; Holdaway, Simon; Bolton, Cynthja.

New directions in archaeological science. ed. / Andrew Fairbairn; Sue O'Connor; Ben Marwick. Canberra, Australia : ANU E Press, 2009. p. 189-200 (Terra Australis; Vol. 28).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

TY - CHAP

T1 - Archaeological surfaces in western NSW

T2 - stratigraphic contexts and preliminary OSL dating of hearths

AU - Rhodes, Edward J.

AU - Fanning, Patricia

AU - Holdaway, Simon

AU - Bolton, Cynthja

N1 - Copyright retained by author(s). Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author and according to publisher conditions. For further reproduction rights please contact the publisher at http://epress.anu.edu.au/

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - A two-phase process for developing a chronology of Aboriginal occupation in arid western NSW, Australia, has been developed over the past ten years by the Western NSW Archaeology Program. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the remains of heat-retainer hearths, built by Aboriginal people in the past to cook food, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments have been used to construct a chronology of ‘archaeological surfaces’. Here we provide preliminary age estimates using OSL dating of stones from heat-retainer hearths which have previously been dated by radiocarbon. Our method is novel in several ways including the rapid preparation method adopted and the approach to estimating the dose rate for surface samples. We discuss the limitations of this virtually non-destructive and efficient OSL dating method, and provide an agenda for future technical development and application.

AB - A two-phase process for developing a chronology of Aboriginal occupation in arid western NSW, Australia, has been developed over the past ten years by the Western NSW Archaeology Program. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the remains of heat-retainer hearths, built by Aboriginal people in the past to cook food, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments have been used to construct a chronology of ‘archaeological surfaces’. Here we provide preliminary age estimates using OSL dating of stones from heat-retainer hearths which have previously been dated by radiocarbon. Our method is novel in several ways including the rapid preparation method adopted and the approach to estimating the dose rate for surface samples. We discuss the limitations of this virtually non-destructive and efficient OSL dating method, and provide an agenda for future technical development and application.

KW - Archaeological surfaces

KW - OSL dating

KW - heat-retainer hearths

KW - Western NSW

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9781921536489

T3 - Terra Australis

SP - 189

EP - 200

BT - New directions in archaeological science

A2 - Fairbairn, Andrew

A2 - O'Connor, Sue

A2 - Marwick, Ben

PB - ANU E Press

CY - Canberra, Australia

ER -

Access to Document

Mq-14097-Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 1 MBLicence: Unspecified