Abstract
The absolute chronology of the Kura-Araxes (KA) culture in the Southern Caucasus still represents a challenge due to the fragmentation and inadequacy of the radiocarbon record, as well as the inconsistencies in material typologies in the region. Recent archaeological fieldwork at the site of Aradetis Orgora in the Shida Kartli region of Georgia revealed four occupation levels dating to the KA II phase according to the local relative chronology.14C samples were collected from reliable contexts and further selected according to reliability criteria, taking into account both archaeological issues and lab procedures. FTIR was applied in order to determine the preservation of charcoals and to monitor the efficiency of lab treatments on all the samples. Only accurate14C measurements were selected for Bayesian analysis incorporating stratigraphic information. Two models were run, the second of which simulated intervals corresponding to unexcavated stratigraphy or due to a lack of samples. In this article, the available14C dates for the KA occupation at Aradetis are presented for the first time and analyzed using Bayesian principles. The results of Bayesian modeling suggest that the occupation of the excavated KA II levels cover the period between 3040–2810 BC (simple model) or 3090–2720 BC (interval model).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 649-677 |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| Journal | Radiocarbon |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Sep 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors are grateful to Prof David Lordkipanidze (General Director, Georgian National Museum) and Dr Zurab Makharadze (Director of Archaeological Center, GNM) for the permission to undertake archaeological excavations at Aradetis Orgora, and to Prof Iulon Gagoshidze, co-director of the Georgian-Italian Shida Kartli Archaeological project, for his constant support to our activities. We also wish to thank Dr Valentina Caracuta for her contribution with regards to the botanical identification of samples and Eugenia Mintz for her assistance during laboratory treatment. Many thanks are due to the members of the Georgian-Italian Shida Kartli Archaeological Project for sharing precious information and pictures of the main materials yielded by the excavations of Aradetis Orgora. The excavation seasons at Aradetis Orgora and the analysis of the collected samples were funded by the following institutions: Italian Ministry of Education (PRIN 2009 project), Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ca' Foscari University, and private sponsors. Research leading to the completion of this article was made possible through a grant by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (November 2014-May 2015), which allowed the first author to spend a 7-month period at the Weizmann Institute of Science in order to complete her MA thesis (Passerini 2015). This research was funded by the Max Planck-Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology “Timing of Cultural Changes,” The Exilarch Foundation for the Dangoor Research Accelerator Mass Spectrometer.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona.
Keywords
- Bayesian analysis
- Chronology
- Kura-Araxes
- Southern Caucasus