Organic Molecular Proxies for Fire in Archaeological Sediments

Summary

A number of different direct and indirect proxies are used to identify fire at archaeological sites. We propose a new organic molecular proxy for identification of anthropogenic fire in archaeological sediments, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These molecules are a byproduct of the incomplete combustion of organic biomass, and are preserved well on deep time scales. We applied this proxy to Lusakert Cave, a Middle Paleolithic site in the Hrazdan Gorge, Armenia. From these same samples, we also extracted n-alkanes, the molecular remains of the epicuticular waxes of terrestrial plants. We analyzed the δD and δ13C values of the n-alkanes to measure vegetation and hydrological changes at the site during its occupation. This coupled record of climate and fire from sediments containing archaeological material gives insight into the ability of Middle Palaeolithic hominins to control fire through changing ecological regimes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22503