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Luminescence dates and stratigraphic analyses at Lake Mungo: review and new perspectives
Author(s) -
Bowler J.M.,
Price D.M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
archaeology in oceania
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1834-4453
pISSN - 0728-4896
DOI - 10.1002/j.1834-4453.1998.tb00415.x
Subject(s) - geology , radiocarbon dating , thermoluminescence dating , shore , paleontology , structural basin , archaeology , oceanography , geography
A thermoluminescence dating program has sampled 3 sites on the shores of Lake Mungo, the burial sites Mungo I and Mungo III and the site of earlier palaeomagnetic studies. Two sites on Outer Arumpo lake at Long Water Hole gully and the Outer Arumpo lunette, provide a basis for comparison with ages from Lake Mungo and between lake basin and lakeshore sediments within the Outer Arumpo sequence. Most results show reasonable agreement, both with previous TL results and with available radiocarbon ages. The Golgol unit is confirmed as older than 100 ka. Ages beyond 40 ka from the upper levels of the Lower Mungo unit at Lake Mungo and from the equivalent sands on the Outer Arumpo lunette provide upper limits to ages of burials inserted into the Lower Mungo sands (Mungo I and III). Some problems arise in TL signals from lacustrine sediments which, in samples from Long Water Hole gully, appear too young compared to apparently more reliable results from aeolian components.