The volcanic origin of the sediments from Sulawesi, Indonesia, provides a particular challenge for luminescence dating due to the dim optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) from quartz, and the high anomalous fading rate in the infrared (IR) stimulated luminescence (IRSL) from feldspars. In this study, we present results of dating the sanidine feldspars from 2 samples taken from an archaeological site (Leang Bulu Bettue) in the Maros karsts of South Sulawesi. We tested the post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) procedures in order to find a stable luminescence signal that is less affected by anomalous fading. It was found that there is a highly variable anomalous fading rate in the IRSL and pIRIR signals for different grains and aliquots, and a low temperature IR stimulation (at 50 ◦C or 100 ◦C) used in a pIRIR procedure cannot completely remove the anomalous fading for the subsequent pIRIR signals. The large uncertainties associated with fading rates prevent the application of fading-correction procedures. We propose a method to obtain reliable De estimates by extrapolation of the relationship between De and laboratory fading rate (g-value). The resultant luminescence ages show consistency with other radiometric age determinations from the site. Our results suggest that a systematic and detailed investigation of the relationship between De and anomalous fading rate for different grains or aliquots is necessary for dating volcanic feldspars.

Sanidine

Optical dating

10.26034/la.atl.2016.503

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Citations (12)

Viability of Raman microscopy to identify micro‐residues related to tool‐use and modern contaminants on prehistoric stone artefacts

Journal of Raman Spectroscopy (2017)

Luc Bordes Linda C. Prinsloo Richard Fullagar Thomas Sutikna Elspeth Hayes

Analyses of ancient micro‐residues and usewear preserved on stone artefacts can potentially provide detailed information about how prehistoric humans used the artefacts to process materials such as food, pigments and/or adhesives. However, ancient micro‐residues are likely degraded, and there are multiple potential sources of contamination, such as contact with sediments, groundwater, recent handling, storage materials or laboratory conditions, any of which can inhibit reliable identification of micro‐residues and other traces of prehistoric use. In this pilot study, five stone tools from the archaeological site of Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia) were used to evaluate the viability of Raman spectroscopy to identity ancient micro‐residues preserved on stone artefact surfaces that are due specifically to prehistoric use as opposed to some form of ancient or modern source of contamination. Inorganic and organic deposits that occur commonly in the cave environment, including iron oxide, manganese oxide and biofilms, were identified in both the sediment and on the artefacts. Protein and saturated fatty acid micro‐residues were identified on edges of all artefacts and may partially originate from modern handling. Proteins, plant fibres and other micro‐residues associated with calcium nitrate are possibly archaeologically significant. Detection of plant fibres and starch grains may indicate either modern contamination or prehistoric contact with plant material that was transferred incidentally or during tool manufacture and/or tool use. These results demonstrate the viability of Raman microscopy to screen, at an early stage of archaeological residue analysis, for modern contaminants and micro‐residues related to tool manufacture and/or tool use. This approach serves as a base for planning strategies and analytical protocols for future work that targets larger samples of artefacts, integrates Raman microscopy with GC–MS/LC–MS and includes more comprehensive studies of usewear. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Archaeological Science

10.1002/jrs.5202

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Incorporating terpenes, monoterpenoids and alkanes into multiresidue organic biomarker analysis of archaeological stone artefacts from Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia)

Journal of Archaeological Science Reports (2018)

Susan Luong Matthew W. Tocheri Thomas Sutikna E. Wahyu Saptomo Jatmiko Jatmiko

A sensitive and selective gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) method for the detection and quantification of terpenes, monoterpenoids and alkanes was developed and validated, to complement an existing analytical workflow set up for organic biomarker analysis of stone artefacts. This method was applied to seven stone artefacts—six of which contained potential use-residues based on a previous study using non-volatile low molecular weight lipid biomarkers—recovered from Liang Bua, an archaeological cave site on the Indonesian island of Flores. Following localised solvent extractions of the artefacts, aliquots of the solvent extracts were directly assayed using the optimised method. Identification of an analyte was considered positive when three criteria were met: (1) the retention time was the same as observed for a reference standard; (2) the three selected multiple reaction monitoring transitions for a reference standard compound were observed for the analyte; and (3) the qualitative ions (relative to the quantitative ion) were present in the expected ratios consistent with the reference standard. Alkane chemical profiles indicated that the presence of plant residues cannot be excluded, but of particular interest was the detection of camphor on one of the artefacts. Camphor-containing plants are found throughout Asia, including Indonesia, and are known historically to have been used for medicinal and culinary purposes. The likelihood of resource processing was high for three of the artefacts, and medium for the remaining four artefacts, based on the specificity, quantity and combination of the analytes identified.

Camphor

Terpene

Chemometrics

10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.02.037

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Use-polished stone flakes from Liang Bua, Indonesia: Implications for plant processing and fibrecraft in the Late Pleistocene

Journal of Archaeological Science Reports (2021)

Elspeth Hayes Richard Fullagar Johan Kamminga Linda C. Prinsloo Luc Bordes

Edge-glossed flakes, usually recognised as stone tools with macroscopically visible polish from use, have been documented in parts of Southeast Asia from contexts spanning the past 12,000 years and possibly more than 30,000 years. It has been proposed that the edges of these flakes were polished by cutting, splitting or otherwise processing siliceous and fibrous plants for matting, basketry and bindings, and possibly by the reaping of cereals such as rice. Previous studies of use-wear on edge-glossed flakes in Southeast Asia have suggested several tool functions, including the cutting, splitting and scraping of plants with few or no phytoliths (e.g., Pandanaceae) and highly siliceous plants, with high phytolith content, such as Arecaceae palms (e.g., rattan) and Poaceae grasses (e.g., rice, bamboo and cattail reeds). Our study of the use-wear on 16 edge-glossed flakes from layers spanning the past 18,000 years at Liang Bua, a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Flores, Indonesia, indicates processing of various plant taxa, including Poaceae grasses, Arecaceae palm and wood. The edge-glossed flakes from Liang Bua have features of micropolish that indicate they were probably linked with fibrecraft. Eleven of the 16 Liang Bua artefacts with edge-gloss are between about 18,580 and 11,750 years old, from artefact assemblages associated with modern humans; they currently represent the earliest evidence of these behaviours on Flores. No edge-glossed flakes have yet been identified in the 190,000–50,000-year-old artefact assemblages associated with Homo floresiensis.

Stone tool

10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103199

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Citations (12)