PROBLEMS OF RADIOCARBON DATING OF THE FINAL BRONZE AGE SITES IN THE BARNAUL OB REGION
Abstract
The article presents the results of AMS radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analysis of anthropological materials of the final Bronze Age from the Maly Gonbinsky Kordon-I/5 (MGK-I/5) burial ground in the Barnaul Ob region. The site contains burials of different cultures dating to the 10th–2nd centuries BC, more than 20 graves in total, the majority of which belong to the «late Irmen» period. The study includes individuals from graves No. 13, 15, 16, 19, as well as faunal sample (lower jaw of small cattle) from the synchronous settlement of Maly Gonbinsky Kordon-I/3 (MGK-I/3). The obtained results contradict the traditional archaeological understanding of the Late Bronze Age chronology of the Upper Ob region and the perception of the subsistence habits of the population. A preliminary conclusion has been made about the influence of the freshwater reservoir effect on the radiocarbon dates, determined by the diet of the «late Irmenians». The question is raised about the systemic nature of this phenomenon in the region, related to the diversified economy of the ancient population.
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References
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