Understanding Archaeology in the Dunes: OSL Dating of the Tolleston Beach at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Its Implications for Interpreting the Archaeological Record

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The puzzling scarcity of archaeological sites on the Tolleston Beach at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore prompted an investigation into the development of this dune field in an attempt to determine whether the distribution of known archaeological sites is governed by ancient human behaviors, or influenced by its dune setting, which can affect site preservation and discoverability. In order to accurately understand patterns of past human occupation, it is important to know the timing and extent of dune reactivation, specifically, whether it was frequent enough to influence settlement patterns in the past or if it was extensive enough to disturb archaeological deposits later on. Soil samples collected from shovel test pits and from vibracores on the crests of two compound parabolic dunes were dated using Optically Stimulated Luminescence to refine the chronology of the Tolleston, determine the age of near surface deposits (those accessible to archaeologists using standard field methods), and to evaluate the validity of applying those methods in this environment. The benefits and challenges of using OSL dating in archaeological contexts are also discussed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 26061