{"title":"南非全新世人类遗骸的年代:重新校准和广泛的背景研究","authors":"Emma Loftus, Marlize Lombard, Maryna Steyn","doi":"10.1017/rdc.2024.22","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>The study of human remains can provide valuable information about aspects of past populations. Here we present an updated database consisting of 590 radiocarbon (<span>14</span>C) dates for human remains from Holocene South Africa before European contact. We calibrated or recalibrated all the previously published dates using the most recent calibration curve for the southern hemisphere. Each date is roughly georeferenced and plotted according to their Stone Age or Iron Age contexts, revealing the broad distribution pattern of dated Holocene human remains across South Africa—perhaps reflecting aspects of past population distribution and densities, but also underscoring historical collection practices, archaeological research focus, and preservation conditions. We use Kernel Density Estimation models to show peaks and troughs of dated remains through time, with Later Stone Age peaks at ∼5.5 ka cal BP, ∼2 ka cal BP and ∼0.5 ka cal BP, and Iron Age peaks ∼1.1 ka cal BP and ∼0.5 ka cal BP, some of which show broad correspondence to climatic data. Our data, based on dated remains only, do not provide a full reflection of past populations, and our large-scale, coarse-grained analysis cannot yet assess the reasons for the peaks in dated human remains in detail. Yet, the study provides a new resource, and a data-driven overview that highlights aspects to be explored with further contextual analyses against the available archaeological records, population histories and climatic indicators through time and across space.</p>","PeriodicalId":21020,"journal":{"name":"Radiocarbon","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"DATED HOLOCENE HUMAN REMAINS FROM SOUTH AFRICA: RECALIBRATION AND BROAD CONTEXTUALIZATION\",\"authors\":\"Emma Loftus, Marlize Lombard, Maryna Steyn\",\"doi\":\"10.1017/rdc.2024.22\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p>The study of human remains can provide valuable information about aspects of past populations. Here we present an updated database consisting of 590 radiocarbon (<span>14</span>C) dates for human remains from Holocene South Africa before European contact. We calibrated or recalibrated all the previously published dates using the most recent calibration curve for the southern hemisphere. Each date is roughly georeferenced and plotted according to their Stone Age or Iron Age contexts, revealing the broad distribution pattern of dated Holocene human remains across South Africa—perhaps reflecting aspects of past population distribution and densities, but also underscoring historical collection practices, archaeological research focus, and preservation conditions. We use Kernel Density Estimation models to show peaks and troughs of dated remains through time, with Later Stone Age peaks at ∼5.5 ka cal BP, ∼2 ka cal BP and ∼0.5 ka cal BP, and Iron Age peaks ∼1.1 ka cal BP and ∼0.5 ka cal BP, some of which show broad correspondence to climatic data. Our data, based on dated remains only, do not provide a full reflection of past populations, and our large-scale, coarse-grained analysis cannot yet assess the reasons for the peaks in dated human remains in detail. Yet, the study provides a new resource, and a data-driven overview that highlights aspects to be explored with further contextual analyses against the available archaeological records, population histories and climatic indicators through time and across space.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":21020,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Radiocarbon\",\"volume\":\"17 1\",\"pages\":\"\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":2.0000,\"publicationDate\":\"2024-03-11\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Radiocarbon\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"89\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1017/rdc.2024.22\",\"RegionNum\":3,\"RegionCategory\":\"地球科学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q2\",\"JCRName\":\"GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Radiocarbon","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1017/rdc.2024.22","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
摘要
对人类遗骸的研究可以提供有关过去人口各方面的宝贵信息。在此,我们提供了一个更新的数据库,其中包括 590 个与欧洲接触前全新世南非人类遗骸的放射性碳(14C)年代。我们使用南半球最新的校准曲线校准或重新校准了之前公布的所有日期。每个日期都有大致的地理坐标,并根据其石器时代或铁器时代的背景绘制成图,揭示了南非全新世人类遗骸的广泛分布模式--或许反映了过去人口分布和密度的各个方面,但也强调了历史上的采集实践、考古研究重点和保存条件。我们使用核密度估计模型来显示不同时期的遗骸峰值和谷值,其中晚石器时代的峰值出现在 5.5 ka cal BP、2 ka cal BP 和 0.5 ka cal BP,铁器时代的峰值出现在 1.1 ka cal BP 和 0.5 ka cal BP,其中一些峰值与气候数据有广泛的对应关系。我们的数据仅基于年代测定的遗骸,不能全面反映过去的人口情况,我们的大规模粗粒度分析还不能详细评估年代测定的人类遗骸出现高峰的原因。然而,这项研究提供了一个新的资源,以及一个以数据为导向的概述,它强调了一些方面,这些方面有待我们根据现有的考古记录、人口历史以及跨时间和跨空间的气候指标进行进一步的背景分析来探索。
DATED HOLOCENE HUMAN REMAINS FROM SOUTH AFRICA: RECALIBRATION AND BROAD CONTEXTUALIZATION
The study of human remains can provide valuable information about aspects of past populations. Here we present an updated database consisting of 590 radiocarbon (14C) dates for human remains from Holocene South Africa before European contact. We calibrated or recalibrated all the previously published dates using the most recent calibration curve for the southern hemisphere. Each date is roughly georeferenced and plotted according to their Stone Age or Iron Age contexts, revealing the broad distribution pattern of dated Holocene human remains across South Africa—perhaps reflecting aspects of past population distribution and densities, but also underscoring historical collection practices, archaeological research focus, and preservation conditions. We use Kernel Density Estimation models to show peaks and troughs of dated remains through time, with Later Stone Age peaks at ∼5.5 ka cal BP, ∼2 ka cal BP and ∼0.5 ka cal BP, and Iron Age peaks ∼1.1 ka cal BP and ∼0.5 ka cal BP, some of which show broad correspondence to climatic data. Our data, based on dated remains only, do not provide a full reflection of past populations, and our large-scale, coarse-grained analysis cannot yet assess the reasons for the peaks in dated human remains in detail. Yet, the study provides a new resource, and a data-driven overview that highlights aspects to be explored with further contextual analyses against the available archaeological records, population histories and climatic indicators through time and across space.
期刊介绍:
Radiocarbon serves as the leading international journal for technical and interpretive articles, date lists, and advancements in 14C and other radioisotopes relevant to archaeological, geophysical, oceanographic, and related dating methods. Established in 1959, it has published numerous seminal works and hosts the triennial International Radiocarbon Conference proceedings. The journal also features occasional special issues. Submissions encompass regular articles such as research reports, technical descriptions, and date lists, along with comments, letters to the editor, book reviews, and laboratory lists.