Three additional radiocarbon assays were run on samples from 3 levels lying below the classic (+/- 15,500 BP) Lower Cantabrian Magdalenian horizon in the outer vestibule excavation area of El Mirón Cave in the Cantabrian Cordillera of northern Spain. Although the central tendencies of the new dates are out of stratigraphic order, they are consonant with the post-Solutrean, Initial Magdalenian period both in El Mirón and in the Cantabrian region, indicating a technological transition in preferred weaponry from foliate and shouldered points to microliths and antler sagaies between about 17,000-16,000 BP (uncalibrated), during the early part of the Oldest Dryas pollen zone. Now with 65 14C dates, El Mirón is one of the most thoroughly dated prehistoric sites in western Europe. The until-now poorly dated, but very distinctive Initial Cantabrian Magdalenian lithic artifact assemblages are briefly summarized.

A human skeleton of phenomenal size was uncovered during the excavation of a prehistoric site located in the city of Shangnan, Shaanxi province, China, in 2006. The skeleton dates to 4240-4100 cal yr BP, corresponding to the Longshan culture (4400-4000 yr ago). The skeletal characteristics point to a young male 16-18 yr old with a height of 193 cm. This is the tallest skeleton ever discovered in prehistoric China, and thus we name him the "Longshan Giant." The giant appears to be of the Mongoloid race and has many physical characteristics that are similar to those of modern southern Asians. Upon closer examination, 3 drilled holes of 5 cm in diameter were found in the right parietal bone of the skull. No rationale exists yet to explain the presence of these holes.

Fifteen years of research on accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating of non-hydraulic mortar has now led to the establishment of a chronology for the medieval stone churches of the land Islands (Finland), where no contemporary written records could shed light on the first building phases. In contrast to other material for dating, well-preserved mortar is abundantly available from every building stage. We have gathered experience from AMS dating of 150 land mortar samples. Approximately half of them have age control from dendrochronology or from 14C analysis of wooden fragments in direct contact with the mortar. Of the samples with age control, 95% of the results agree with the age of the wood. The age control from dendrochronology, petrologic microscopy, chemical testing of the mortars, and mathematical modeling of their behavior during dissolution in acid have helped us to define criteria of reliability to interpret the 14C results when mortar dating is the only possibility to constrain the buildings in time. With these criteria, 80% of all samples reached conclusive results, and we have thus far been able to establish the chronology of 12 out of the 14 churches and chapels, while 2 still require complementary analyses.

In this article, we present a set of radiocarbon measurements from Atar Haroa, a site that belongs to the early Iron IIA Negev Highlands settlement system in southern Israel. The results place activity at the site in the 9th century BCE, with a possibility that it was founded in the 10th century BCE, probably in the second half. The Atar Haroa measurements seem to indicate that the early Iron IIA phase in the ceramic typology of Israel lasted until the mid-9th century BCE--somewhat later than previously suggested. These new data shed light on several issues related to the history of southern Israel in the late 10th and 9th centuries BCE.

Paired radiocarbon and stable carbon analyses have been carried out on aragonite shells and organic soft bodies of snails from the Chinese Loess Plateau in order to explore the possibility of using these kinds of samples as environmental and chronological indicators. Results show that the soft bodies exhibit 14C concentrations similar to those of plant leaves, indicating that carbon in the soft bodies is fixed from organic diets. The aragonite shells are depleted in 14C compared to the soft bodies due to ingestion of 14C-depleted carbonate. This depletion shows a consistent pattern across the Chinese Loess Plateau, implying a good potential for the snail shells to be applicable for 14C dating with a simple correction. The 13C values measured for aragonite shells display a linear relationship with those obtained for the soft bodies with a constant offset. In addition, the carbon derived from organic diets accounts for more than 70% of the total shell carbon. This fact suggests that stable carbon isotope composition of aragonite shells mainly reflects that of organic diet, and could be used as a reliable indicator of paleodiet in the Chinese Loess Plateau.

To obtain a precise radiocarbon Holocene chronology in coastal areas, it is necessary to estimate the modern 14C reservoir age R(t) and its possible variations with time in relation to paleoenvironmental changes. The modern reservoir 14C age was estimated by comparing AMS 14C ages of 2 recent mollusk shells found in sediment cores sampled in the Palavasian lagoonal system (south of France) with ages derived from 210Pb and 137Cs data and historical accounts of identifiable storm events. The calculated modern R(t) value of 943 +/- 25 14C yr is about 600 yr higher than the global mean sea surface reservoir age. This high value, probably due to the relative isolation of the lagoon from marine inputs, is in good agreement with other R(t) estimates in Mediterranean lagoonal systems (Zoppi et al. 2001; Sabatier et al. 2008). 14C ages were also obtained on a series of Holocene mollusk shells sampled at different depths of the ~8-m-long core PB06. Careful examination of the 14C ages versus depth relationships suggests that R(t) in the past was lower and similar to the value presently measured in the Gulf of Lion (618 +/- 30 14C yr, Siani et al. 2000). The change in R(t) from 618 to 943 yr is thought to result from final closure of the coastal lagoon by the sandy barrier, due to the along-shore sediment transfer.

In this paper, we summarize the main chemical pretreatment protocols currently used for AMS radiocarbon dating at the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, updating the protocols last described by Hedges et al. (1989).

We report carbon isotope abundances of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in surface seawater collected from a time-series site off the Newport Beach Pier in Orange County, California. These data represent the first time series of ∆14C data for a coastal southern California site. From a suite of samples collected daily from 16 October to 11 November 2004, ∆14C values averaged 32.1 +/- 4.4. Freshwater input from the Santa Ana River to our site caused ∆14C and 13C values to decrease. Since this initial set of measurements, a time-series site has been maintained from November 2004 to the present. Surface seawater has been collected bimonthly and analyzed for ∆14C, delta-13C, salinity, and sigma-CO2 concentrations. Water samples from the Santa Ana River were collected during the wet season. California sea mussels and barnacle shells, ranging from 4 to 6 months old, were also collected and analyzed. Results from May 2005 to January 2008 show no long-term changes in delta-13C DIC values. ∆14C DIC values over the 2005-2006 period averaged 33.7; high ∆14C values were observed sporadically (every 6-7 months), suggesting the presence of open water eddies at our site. Finally, in 2007, a stronger upwelling signal was apparent as indicated by correlations between ∆14C, salinity, and the Bakun index, suggesting that the ∆14C record is an indicator of upwelling in the Southern California Bight.

We present the results of 10 AMS radiocarbon dates for Cova de la Pastora (Alcoi, Alicante), a burial cave attributed to the Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic in eastern Spain. The direct dating of 10 human mandibles from Cova de la Pastora indicates that the cave was used as a burial place from the Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age. These dates reveal a continuity of ritual use not previously identified at the site. This case also serves to highlight the utility of revisiting historic excavations and museum collections with modern techniques to shed new light on the prehistoric human record.