AustArch3: A database of 14C and luminescence ages from archaeological sites in southern Australia

Alan N. Williams, Mike Smith

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debate

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract


AustArch3 is a MicrosoftR ExcelR database listing radiocarbon and luminescence ages from archaeological sites across southern Australia, including Tasmania. It was originally compiled to support analysis of time-series trends in Williams (2013), and is now available online at http://palaeoworks.anu.edu.au and the AAA website. AustArch3 forms the third and final of a series of datasets being compiled as part of the lead author’s PhD research to document all radiocarbon data across Australia. This dataset fills in the gap between AustArch1 (Williams et al. 2008), AustArch 2 (Williams and Smith 2012) and the Index of Dates from Archaeological Sites in Queensland (Ulm and Reid 2000), and allows complete coverage (within the limits of existing archaeological investigation) for the entire continent. Following the release of this dataset, we will be attempting to consolidate all of the datasets in the near future for inclusion on the Australian Archaeological Association Inc. and Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists Inc. websites.

The database is intended as a resource for archaeologists working primarily in southeastern Australia, where the data is most comprehensive, but also includes data in South Australia (SA) and southwest Western Australia (WA). It provides a ready checklist of dated sites, as well as a comprehensive listing of radiocarbon and luminescence age determinations, and, in conjunction with calibration programs such as OxCal or Calib, can be used to generate radiocarbon density plots for analysis of trends in occupation. Research in the southeast has been extensive over the last 50 years in both academic and consulting fields, making this central listing of chronometric data particularly useful, and we expect that AustArch3 will become a useful tool for both consultant and academic archaeologists alike. It further allows simple citation of the dataset removing ambiguity of the source data used in time-series analyses...
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)102
Number of pages1
JournalAustralian Archaeology
Volume76
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2013
Externally publishedYes

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