Radiocarbon Chronology of Upper Palaeolithic Sites in Eastern Europe at Improved Resolution

Author： Dolukhanov P. Sokoloff D. Shukurov A.

ISSN： 0305-4403

Source： Journal of Archaeological Science, Vol.28, Iss.7, 2001-07, pp. : 699-712

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Abstract

We perform statistical analysis of calibrated radiocarbon age measurements for several key Upper Palaeolithic (UP) sites in East European Plain (Kostenki 1, Layer 1; Kostenki 1, Layer 3; Avdeevo; and Mezhirichi) and isolate a contemporaneous subsample in each set of age measurements. We further estimate the most probable age of the subsample. The confidence interval of the age estimate is significantly less than the standard deviation of the dates in the subsample. Thus, statistical analysis of a data sample allows us to improve considerably the temporal resolution of radiocarbon dating. The dates belonging to a contemporaneous subsample can be considered as pertaining to a momentary event. The screening of the published radiocarbon dates for UP sites in East European Plain has resulted in a new date list, where each site is characterized by a single date. These data indicate a considerable increase in the density of East European UP dates during the Last Glacial Maximum and their total disappearance after 15 ka bp. We argue that this presumable increase in the population had resulted from an influx of groups of anatomically modern humans from the West during the coldest interval of the Last Glacial Maximum.