We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Colonisation of Remote Oceania: New dates for the Bapot-1 site in the Mariana Islands.
- Authors
PETCHEY, FIONA; CLARK, GEOFFREY; WINTER, OLAF; O'DAY, PATRICK; LITSTER, MIRANI
- Abstract
ABSTRACT The colonisation of the Mariana Islands in Western Micronesia is likely to represent a long-distance ocean dispersal of more than 2000 km, and establishing the date of human arrival in the archipelago is important for modelling Neolithic expansion in Island South-East Asia and the Pacific. In 2010, Clark et al. published a paper discussing a number of radiocarbon dates from the Bapot-1 site on Saipan Island, but a disparity between charcoal and marine shell ( A nadara sp.) results prevented the calculation of a definitive age for the site and left open the possibility that Bapot-1 was first settled as early as 3500 calBP. Here, we present new research using a combination of stable isotope (δ13C and δ18O) and 14C information to demonstrate that A . antiquata from the lowest layers of Bapot-1 is affected by hardwaters. These new results indicate human arrival at Bapot-1 occurred around 3200-3080 calBP (1250-1130 BC). We recommend a similar isotopic evaluation for other sites in the Marianas that are dated by marine shell.
- Subjects
MARIANA Islands; ARCHIPELAGOES; NEOLITHIC Period; RADIOCARBON dating; STABLE isotopes
- Publication
Archaeology in Oceania, 2017, Vol 52, Issue 2, p108
- ISSN
0728-4896
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/arco.5108