Browsing by Author "Pettitt, Paul B."
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- Dating Palaeolithic cave art: Why U–Th is the way to goPublication . Pike, Alistair W.G.; Hoffmann, Dirk L.; Pettitt, Paul B.; García-Diez, Marcos; Zilhão, JoãoThe chronology of European Upper Palaeolithic cave art is poorly known. Three chronometric techniques are commonly applicable: AMS 14C, TL and UeTh, and in recent years the efficacy of each has been the subject of considerable debate. We review here the use of the UeTh technique to date the formation of calcites that can be shown to have stratigraphic relationships to cave art. We focus particularly on two recent critiques of the method. By using specific examples from our own work using this method in Spain, we demonstrate how these critiques are highly flawed and hence misleading, and we argue that the UeTh dating of calcites is currently the most reliable of available chronometric techniques for dating cave art.
- Methods for U-series dating of CaCO 3 crusts associated with Palaeolithic cave art and application to Iberian sitesPublication . Hoffmann, Dirk L.; Pike, Alistair W.G.; García-Diez, Marcos; Pettitt, Paul B.; Zilhão, JoãoU-series dating is a precise and accurate geochronological tool which is widely applied to date secondary CaCO3 formation, for example in speleothem based palaeoclimate research. It can also be employed to provide chronological constraints for archaeological sites which have a stratigraphic relationship with speleothem formations.We present in detail our methods to conduct precise and accurate U-Th dating of calcite crusts that formed on top of cave paintings. Our protocols allow the application of U-series measurements on small, thin calcite crusts covering cave art, which can be found in many sites, while taking care not to harm the art underneath. The method provides minimum ages for the covered art and, where possible, also maximum ages by dating the flowstone layer the art is painted on. We present dating results for crusts from two locality types in Spain, a typical cave environment (La Pasiega) and a more open, rock shelter type cave (Fuente del Trucho).
- New ages for old paintings: U-Th dating reveals Neanderthal origin of cave paintingsPublication . Hoffmann, Dirk L.; García-Diez, Marcos; Lorblanchet, Michel; Pettitt, Paul B.; Pike, Alistair W. G.; Standish, Christopher D.; Zilhão, João
- Response to Aubert et al.'s reply ‘Early dates for ‘Neanderthal cave art’ may be wrong’ [J. Hum. Evol. 125 (2018), 215–217]Publication . Hoffmann, Dirk L.; Standish, Christopher D.; García-Diez, Marcos; Pettitt, Paul B.; Milton, James A.; Zilhão, João; Alcolea-González, Javier J.; Cantalejo-Duarte, Pedro; Collado, Hipolito; de Balbín, Rodrigo; Lorblanchet, Michel; Ramos-Muñoz, Jose; Weniger, Gerd-Christian; Pike, Alistair W.G.
- Response to White et al.’s reply : ‘Still no archaeological evidence that Neanderthals created Iberian cave art’ [J. Hum. Evol. (2020) 102640]Publication . Hoffmann, Dirk L.; Standish, Christopher D.; García-Diez, Marcos; Pettitt, Paul B.; Milton, James A.; Zilhão, João; Alcolea-González, Javier J.; Cantalejo-Duarte, Pedro; Collado, Hipolito; de Balbín, Rodrigo; Lorblanchet, Michel; Ramos-Muñoz, Jose; Weniger, Gerd-Christian; Pike, Alistair W.G.