Developing accurate trans-holocene coastal and ocean chronologies: Resolving fundamental problems in the dating of marine shell in the tropics (Old ID 19919)
Role
Principal Investigator
Description
Archaeological and quaternary science in tropical Australasia is heavily reliant on radiocarbon (14C) ages on marine materials. However, radiocarbon ages obtained on marine samples are not directly comparable to contemporaneous terrestrial samples owing to variability in the way 14C is distributed in marine environments (the 'marine reservoir effect'). Marine reservoir effects are highly variable and can introduce uncertainties of up to several hundred years into ages obtained on marine samples, creating a key obstacle for advancing archaeological, sea-level and climate change research. This project establishes a reliable model of marine reservoir effects across tropical Australasia that can be used to calibrate marine 14C ages.
Date
18 Feb 2013 - 17 Feb 2017
Project Type
FELLOWSHIP
Keywords
Archaeology;Radiocarbon Dating;marine reservoir effect
Funding Body
Australian Research Council
Amount
699593
Project Team
N/A