Dating paleosols from Paleolithic sites in Korea

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Vol. 223-224; pp. 723 - 730
• Main Authors: Kim, J.C, Youn, M.Y, Kim, I.C, Park, J.H, Song, Y.M, Kang, J, Choi, H.R, Yum, J.G, Liu, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.08.2004
• Subjects: 14C age; Paleolithic site; Paleosol; Paleosol; 14C age; 92.10.Wa; Paleolithic site; 91.35.Nm
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2004.04.134

Paleosols collected from several Paleolithic sites in Korea were used to extract organic materials for 14C AMS dating. Two types of soil profiles can be classified based on the 14C ages resulting from these materials compared with those of charcoals from the same stratigraphic horizon. For sites having type 1 column profiles, paleosol results gave ages considerably younger than the charcoal age, regardless of the pretreatment method used to extract organic materials. However, correct depositional ages were obtained from paleosols of type 2 which meets conditions on column profiles, such as alluvial and flood plain deposits overlain by iron and aluminum hydroxides rich deposits. The difference between these two results could be explained by the flocculation–dispersion effect for the downward translocation of clay particles, which contains young biogenic carbonaceous materials, and/or by the variation of soil permeability which induces the different leaching velocity.