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How old is Luzia? Luminescence dating and stratigraphic integrity at Lapa Vermelha, Lagoa Santa, Brazil
Author(s) -
Feathers James,
Kipnis Renato,
Piló Luis,
ArroyoKalin Manuel,
Coblentz David
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
geoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1520-6548
pISSN - 0883-6353
DOI - 10.1002/gea.20316
Subject(s) - radiocarbon dating , geology , chronology , sediment , paleontology , sedimentary depositional environment , thermoluminescence dating , quartz , archaeology , mineralogy , geochemistry , geography , structural basin
During an excavation in the 1970s, a disarticulated female human skeleton, later nicknamed Luzia, was discovered at 12m depth at Lapa Vermelha rockshelter in central Brazil. Radiocarbon dating of associated charcoal suggested an age of 11.4‐16.4 ka for the skeleton. The scattering of the skeletal parts, some uncertainty about the exact provenience of the skeleton, and evidence of pervasive insect turbation in the archaeological layers have raised doubts about the accuracy of the age. Luminescence dates for the depositional ages of the sediments at Lapa Vermelha are reported here. Single‐grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of quartz along with grain‐size, chemical and micro‐morphological analyses of the sediments were employed to assess stratigraphic integrity, particularly the degree of sediment mixing. These various lines of evidence point to high stratigraphic integrity with little mixing at Lapa Vermelha. Sediments closest to where Luzia was recovered give OSL ages ranging from 12.7 to 16.0 ka, thus not refuting the original dates. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.