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  • Progress towards single-grain optical dating of fossil mud-wasp nests and associated rock art in northern Australia

    Author(s)
    Yoshida, H
    Roberts, RG
    Olley, JM
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Olley, Jon M.
    Year published
    2003
    Metadata
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    Abstract
    Here we report on investigations into optical dating of fossil mud-wasp nests as a means of constraining the ages of overlying and underlying rock paintings in northern Australia. We describe the application of a 'dual-signal' regenerative-close approach, using the easy-to-bleach ('fast') and hard-to-bleach ('slow') components of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) emitted by individual sand-sized grains of quartz extracted from two nests: a modern nest (< 2 yr old) and a nest dated by C-14 to about 30,000 calendar years (similar to 30 ka). For the modern nest, most of the palaeodoses obtained from both the fast and slow ...
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    Here we report on investigations into optical dating of fossil mud-wasp nests as a means of constraining the ages of overlying and underlying rock paintings in northern Australia. We describe the application of a 'dual-signal' regenerative-close approach, using the easy-to-bleach ('fast') and hard-to-bleach ('slow') components of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) emitted by individual sand-sized grains of quartz extracted from two nests: a modern nest (< 2 yr old) and a nest dated by C-14 to about 30,000 calendar years (similar to 30 ka). For the modern nest, most of the palaeodoses obtained from both the fast and slow components are consistent with a zero age, while the C-14-dated nest yielded an age of 27.1 +/- 1.5 ka from those grains that yielded concordant palaeodoses from the fast and slow components (as measured by linearly modulated OSL). Our findings indicate that a dual-signal approach permits grains that were fully bleached by sunlight at the time of nest construction, and that have since remained concealed in the light-safe 'core' of a nest. to be distinguished from (a) grains that were incompletely bleached before nest construction, and (b) grains embedded in the continuously light-exposed, exterior portion of a nest. We conclude that reliable optical ages for small mud-wasp nests associated with ancient rock art may be obtained using the dual-signal approach and the light-safe grains.
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    Journal Title
    Quaternary Geochronology
    Volume
    22
    Issue
    10-13
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-3791(03)00076-3
    Subject
    Earth sciences
    History, heritage and archaeology
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/28317
    Collection
    • Journal articles

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