This study used OSL dating to examine the chronological relationship between
two adjacent archaeological sites at the Hare Hammock complex in northwest Florida.
High-resolution vertical sampling was performed at 10cm intervals in profiles, one
corresponding to a Swift Creek burial mound, and the other to a Weeden Island ring
midden. This was done in order to determine the timing of occupations at the sites and
look for patterns in radiation dosimetry. The Swift Creek mound was found to have a
mean OSL age of 1835 +/- 68 years, consistent with archaeological expectations of the
site and the accepted range of Swift Creek culture. The subsequent Weeden Island
occupation was also found to have OSL ages within expectations, with a mean age of
1049 +/- 43 years that overlies a single age of 1511 +/- 372 years, corresponding to the
Late and Early Weeden Island periods, respectively. The general coherence with
radiocarbon dates and ceramic chronologies affirms the veracity of these OSL ages,
which were obtained using a very recently developed dosimetric technique that applies
Al2O3:C cylinders as in-situ dosimeters. These dosimeters indicated that the sediments at
Hare Hammock contain significant heterogeneity in beta dose rates. This study finds that,
under these circumstances, the best age results are obtained when applying the refined
dosimetric technique which combines the beta dose rate from NAA/DNC and gamma
dose rate from Al2O3:C dosimetry. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/18657 |
| Date | 15 December 2015 |
| Creators | Hodson, Alex |
| Contributors | Rink, Jack, Geography and Earth Sciences |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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