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Suitability of biogenic carbonate of Lithospermum fruits for 14C dating

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Konstantin Pustovoytov  and
Simone Riehl
Konstantin Pustovoytov*
Affiliation:
Institut für Bodenkunde und Standortlehre, Universität Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 27, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
Simone Riehl
Affiliation:
Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Ältere Abteilung, Labor für Archäobotanik, Universität Tübingen, Burgsteige 11, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address:knpustov@uni-hohenheim.de (K. Pustovoytov).
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Abstract

Lithospermum (Boraginaceae) belongs to a small group of plant taxa that accumulate biogenic carbonate in their fruits. In this genus, carbonate incrustations form in the cells of the epidermis and sclerenchyma of the pericarp. Fossil Lithospermum fruits (nutlets) with well-preserved calcified tissues commonly occur in Quaternary sediments and cultural layers. We tested the suitability of biogenic carbonate of Lithospermum fruits for radiocarbon dating using a total of 15 AMS measurement results from four modern and 11 fossil samples. The 14C data from modern samples suggest that Lithospermum utilises only atmospheric carbon to synthesise calcite in the nutlets. In general, the ages determined through 14C dating of fossil fruitscorresponded well with the absolute-age intervals for archaeological sites over the last 5000 yr. Biogenic carbonate of Lithospermum fruits, like that of Celtis, represents a new source of chronological information for late Quaternary studies.

Keywords

Biogenic carbonateLithospermum14C dating
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 65 , Issue 3 , May 2006 , pp. 508 - 518
Copyright
University of Washington

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