Rates of Change in Radiocarbon Date Frequencies and Population Collapse

Author(s): Darcy Bird; Jacob Freeman

Year: 2018

Summary

Recent analyses of large samples of radiocarbon dates shows a change in radiocarbon date frequencies between 3000 BP and 800 BP. There is either an exponential or super-exponential increase in radiocarbon date frequencies followed by a sudden decline. The goal of this poster is to test a population ecology model as to whether or not the degree of population overshoot can predict the degree of population collapse. We want to analyze if the rate of increase in radiocarbon date frequencies over time can predict the rate of the subsequent decline. We compare a global sample of radiocarbon curves, controlling for latitude, elevation, and distance to the coastline.

Cite this Record

Rates of Change in Radiocarbon Date Frequencies and Population Collapse. Darcy Bird, Jacob Freeman. Presented at The 82nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Washington, DC. 2018 ( tDAR id: 444649)

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22412