Rates of Change in Radiocarbon Date Frequencies and Population Collapse

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.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• PAGES (Past Global Changes) PEOPLE 3000 - PalEOclimate and the PeopLing of the Earth   •
• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22412