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IntCal, SHCal, or a Mixed Curve? Choosing a 14C Calibration Curve for Archaeological and Paleoenvironmental Records from Tropical South America

Marsh, Erik J. ; Bruno, Maria C. ; Fritz, Sherilyn C. LU ; Baker, Paul ; Capriles, José M. and Hastorf, Christine A. (2018) In Radiocarbon 60(3). p.925-940
Abstract

Because the 14C calibration curves IntCal and SHCal are based on data from temperate latitudes, it remains unclear which curve is more suitable for archaeological and paleoenvironmental records from tropical South America. A review of climate dynamics reveals a significant influx of Northern Hemisphere air masses and moisture over a substantial part of the continent during the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM). Areas affected by the SASM receive unknown amounts of input from both hemispheres, where an argument could be made for either curve. Until localized tree-ring data can resolve this, we suggest using a mixed calibration curve, which accounts for inputs from both hemispheres, as a third calibration option. We present... (More)

Because the 14C calibration curves IntCal and SHCal are based on data from temperate latitudes, it remains unclear which curve is more suitable for archaeological and paleoenvironmental records from tropical South America. A review of climate dynamics reveals a significant influx of Northern Hemisphere air masses and moisture over a substantial part of the continent during the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM). Areas affected by the SASM receive unknown amounts of input from both hemispheres, where an argument could be made for either curve. Until localized tree-ring data can resolve this, we suggest using a mixed calibration curve, which accounts for inputs from both hemispheres, as a third calibration option. We present a calibration example from a crucial period of environmental and cultural change in the southern Lake Titicaca. Given our current lack of data on past14C variation in South America, our calibrations and chronologies will likely change in the future. We hope this paper spurs new research into this topic and encourages researchers to make an informed and explicit choice of which curve to use, which is particularly relevant in research on past human-environmental relationships.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
hemispheric variation in atmospheric C, Intertropical Convergence Zone, mixed curve calibration, s C calibration curves, South American Summer Monsoon
in
Radiocarbon
volume
60
issue
3
pages
16 pages
publisher
Arizona Board of Regents (University of Arizona)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85048163898
ISSN
0033-8222
DOI
10.1017/RDC.2018.16
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8e18a61c-fd83-4215-a9a6-64520d7865c6
date added to LUP
2018-06-21 14:53:46
date last changed
2022-04-25 07:51:54
@article{8e18a61c-fd83-4215-a9a6-64520d7865c6,
  abstract     = {{<p>Because the <sup>14</sup>C calibration curves IntCal and SHCal are based on data from temperate latitudes, it remains unclear which curve is more suitable for archaeological and paleoenvironmental records from tropical South America. A review of climate dynamics reveals a significant influx of Northern Hemisphere air masses and moisture over a substantial part of the continent during the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM). Areas affected by the SASM receive unknown amounts of input from both hemispheres, where an argument could be made for either curve. Until localized tree-ring data can resolve this, we suggest using a mixed calibration curve, which accounts for inputs from both hemispheres, as a third calibration option. We present a calibration example from a crucial period of environmental and cultural change in the southern Lake Titicaca. Given our current lack of data on past<sup>14</sup>C variation in South America, our calibrations and chronologies will likely change in the future. We hope this paper spurs new research into this topic and encourages researchers to make an informed and explicit choice of which curve to use, which is particularly relevant in research on past human-environmental relationships.</p>}},
  author       = {{Marsh, Erik J. and Bruno, Maria C. and Fritz, Sherilyn C. and Baker, Paul and Capriles, José M. and Hastorf, Christine A.}},
  issn         = {{0033-8222}},
  keywords     = {{hemispheric variation in atmospheric C; Intertropical Convergence Zone; mixed curve calibration; s C calibration curves; South American Summer Monsoon}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{925--940}},
  publisher    = {{Arizona Board of Regents (University of Arizona)}},
  series       = {{Radiocarbon}},
  title        = {{IntCal, SHCal, or a Mixed Curve? Choosing a <sup>14</sup>C Calibration Curve for Archaeological and Paleoenvironmental Records from Tropical South America}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2018.16}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/RDC.2018.16}},
  volume       = {{60}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}