RADIOCARBON DATING

Radiocarbon measurements will provide information on the time span of the accumulation of the remains, as well as the chronological framework for the development of mammoth populations. Furthermore, animal remains from other species and vegetal remains related to human activity will be analysed to determine the chronological limits of not only the mammoth bone accumulations but the formation of the entire site. The radiocarbon chronology will be compared with the relative chronology based upon the lithic tool typology of the Western Carpathians. Modelling these data will determine the chronological relationship between the mammoth remains and human presence.

In our studies we plan to use Near Infrared spectrometer (NIR) for quantifying collagen preservation in archaeological bone. It will be used for animal remains both recently discovered as well as old materials stored in museums.

TEAM: Helen Fewlass