RETRACTED ARTICLE: The Hopewell airburst event, 1699–1567 years ago (252–383 CE)

Meteorites, Fe and Si-rich microspherules, positive Ir and Pt anomalies, and burned charcoal-rich Hopewell habitation surfaces demonstrate that a cosmic airburst event occurred over the Ohio River valley during the late Holocene. A comet-shaped earthwork was constructed near the airburst epicenter....

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Published inScientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 1706 - 18
Main Authors Tankersley, Kenneth Barnett, Meyers, Stephen D., Meyers, Stephanie A., Jordan, James A., Herzner, Louis, Lentz, David L., Zedaker, Dylan
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.02.2022
Nature Publishing Group
Nature Portfolio
Subjects
704/4111
704/445
704/844
Charcoal
Comets
Historic buildings & sites
Holocene
Humanities and Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary aspects
Meteors & meteorites
multidisciplinary
Proxies
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Sediments
Stratigraphy
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Summary:Meteorites, Fe and Si-rich microspherules, positive Ir and Pt anomalies, and burned charcoal-rich Hopewell habitation surfaces demonstrate that a cosmic airburst event occurred over the Ohio River valley during the late Holocene. A comet-shaped earthwork was constructed near the airburst epicenter. Twenty-nine radiocarbon ages establish that the event occurred between 252 and 383 CE, a time when 69 near-Earth comets were documented. While Hopewell people survived the catastrophic event, it likely contributed to their cultural decline. The Hopewell airburst event expands our understanding of the frequency and impact of cataclysmic cosmic events on complex human societies.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-05758-y