ABSOLUTE DATING METHODS

The course includes theoretical and practical lectures:
1. Introducation to dating methods in archaeology and for cultural heritage
2. Radiocarbon dating: principle and applications
3. Calibration of radiocarbon dates and exercises
4. Organic and iorganic material for 14C dating. pre-treatment for dating
5. Reservoir age for water system
6. the archaeological context and when is it suitable for radiocarbon dating
7. building a chronology with high time resolution: from prehistory to historical sites.
8 examples of dating and chronology with exercises on case studies

The students will learn about the dating principle in archaeology, in particular radiocarbon dating. Students will learn how to build a chronology from the site (context selection and sample material selection) to the measurement with the accelerator.

no prerequisites are required

The course will provide a wide presentation of the dating methods in particular od dating with radiocarbon

Books will be provided to the students writing to elisabetta.boaretto@weizmann.ac.il
Few articles are listed below and can be downloaded from http://www.weizmann.ac.il/Sci-Arch/Boaretto/publications

. Passerini, L. Regev, E. Rova and E. Boaretto,” New Radiocarbon Dates for the Kura-Araxes Occupation at Aradetis Orgora, Georgia” Radiocarbon 58(3), (2016), 649-677

B. Alex, O. Barzilai, I. Hershkovitz, O. Marder, F. Berna, V. Caracuta, T. Abulafia, L. Davis, M. Goder-Goldberger, R. Lavi, E. Mintz, L. Regev, D. Bar-Yosef Mayer, J.-M. Tejero, R. Yeshurun, A. Ayalon, M. Bar-Matthews, G. Yasur, A. Frumkin, B. Latimer, M. G. Hans and E. Boaretto, “Radiocarbon chronology of Manot Cave, Israel and Upper Paleolithic dispersals” Science Advances, Vol. 3, no. 11, (2017) e1701450 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1701450

J. Regev, J. Uziel, T. Lieberman, A. Solomon, Y. Gadot, D. Ben-Ami, L. Regev and E. Boaretto, “Radiocarbon dating and microarchaeology untangle the history of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount: A view from Wilson’s Arch”, PlosOne 15(6) (2020): e0233307. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233307

Y. Ehrlich, L. Regev, E. Boaretto “Discovery of annual growth in a modern olive branch based on carbon isotopes and implications for the Bronze Age volcanic eruption of Santorini” Nature Scientific Reports Scientific Reports 11 (2021) 1–11

V. Caracuta, M. Weinstein-Evron, R. Yeshurun, D. Kaufman, A. Tsatskin and E. Boaretto, “Charred wood remains in the Natufian sequence of El-Wad terrace 1 (Israel): New insights into the climatic, environmental and cultural changes at the end of the Pleistocene” Quaternary Science Reviews 131 (A), (2016), 20-32

During the course, several case studies will be discussed in relation to the quality of the research. Students will be required to read the article and give a review of the research.

Lectures in class with ppt

Italian

written