Universität zu Köln

Ageby, Lucas, Angelucci, Diego E. ORCID: 0000-0001-7411-261X, Brill, Dominik, Carrer, Francesco, Brueckner, Helmut and Klasen, Nicole (2022). Dating dry-stone walls with rock surface luminescence: A case study from the Italian Alps. J. Archaeol. Sci., 144. LONDON: ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. ISSN 1095-9238

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Abstract

Dating the construction of dry-stone walls is challenging since such structures are typically built without any mortar that can be used for dating. Rock surface luminescence dating is a developing dating method that could advance chronological insights from structures constructed using dry-stone techniques. This study explores rock surface luminescence dating by targeting dry-stone walls from two enclosure complexes and a hut located in the pastoral upland landscape in Val di Sole, Italy. Gneissic rocks were collected from the dry-stone walls, including surfaces that were either exposed or covered (buried) during the time of sampling. Their respective exposure and burial histories were investigated by measuring the luminescence intensity in feldspar minerals from polymineral rock slices. From covered rock surfaces from one enclosure complex, we calculated recent burial ages (~200 a) from one rock, and burial of ~500 a (bottom surface) and 3750 & PLUSMN; 660 a (top surface) from a second rock. The top surfaces of two additional rocks date the construction of an adjacent hut to the Early Middle Ages. The luminescence-depth profile from one such rock has a complex exposure and burial history, including events that predate the hut's construction. Fitted exposure ages from a second enclosure complex suggest with significant errors either a recent age (< 10 a) or construction during the 19th century AD. Burial dating using rock surface luminescence dating appears feasible for dry-stone walls provided that the rock surface was sufficiently exposed before being incorporated into the structure; here, the gneissic surfaces were bleached to depths of ~0-2 mm before the last burial. Contrariwise, exposure dating generally underestimates the expected age. The variation in ages observed from our rock surfaces indicates that the degree of preservation of the wall, the position of the rock, erosion, and knowledge regarding the general archaeological setting are essential to interpreting the estimated ages. In this study, rock surface luminescence dating provides new, previously inaccessible chronological data with implications for interpreting human activities in the alpine areas of Val di Sole.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Ageby, Lucas UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Angelucci, Diego E. UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-7411-261X UNSPECIFIED Brill, Dominik UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Carrer, Francesco UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Brueckner, Helmut UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Klasen, Nicole UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-673007
DOI:	10.1016/j.jas.2022.105625
Journal or Publication Title:	J. Archaeol. Sci.
Volume:	144
Date:	2022
Publisher:	ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Place of Publication:	LONDON
ISSN:	1095-9238
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language OPTICALLY STIMULATED LUMINESCENCE; EXPOSURE; CHRONOLOGY; AGE; ATTENUATION; PRECISION; SEDIMENT; BOULDERS; DEPOSITS; BE-10 Multiple languages Anthropology; Archaeology; Geosciences, Multidisciplinary Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/67300