Flexible Bayesian methods for archaeological dating
Statistical models for the calibration of both independent and related groups of radiocarbon determinations are now well established and there exists a number of software packages such as BCal, OxCal and CALIB that can perform the necessary calculations to implement them. When devising new statistical models it is important to understand the motivations and needs of the archaeologists. When researchers select samples for radiocarbon dating, they are often not interested in when a specific plant or animal died. Instead, they want to use the radiocarbon evidence to help them to learn about the dates of other events, which cannot be dated directly but which are of greater historical or archaeological significance (e.g. the founding of a site). Our initial research focuses on formulating prior distributions that reliably represent a priori information relating to the rate of deposition of dateable material within an archaeological time period or phase. In archaeology, a phase is defined to be a collection of excavated material (context or layers) bounded early and late by events that are of archaeological importance. Current software for estimating boundary dates only allows for one possible type of a priori distribution,
Karlsberg, Angela Jane
Flexible Bayesian methods for archaeological dating. Statistical models for the calibration of both independent and related groups of radiocarbon determinations are now well established and there exists a number of software packages such as BCal, OxCal and CALIB that can perform the necessary calculations to implement them. When devising new statistical models it is important to understand the motivations and needs of the archaeologists. When researchers select samples for radiocarbon dating, they are often not interested in when a specific plant or animal died. Instead, they want to use the radiocarbon evidence to help them to learn about the dates of other events, which cannot be dated directly but which are of greater historical or archaeological significance (e.g. the founding of a site). Our initial research focuses on formulating prior distributions that reliably represent a priori information relating to the rate of deposition of dateable material within an archaeological time period or phase. In archaeology, a phase is defined to be a collection of excavated material (context or layers) bounded early and late by events that are of archaeological importance. Current software for estimating boundary dates only allows for one possible type of a priori distribution,
flexible bayesian method archaeological dating statistical_model calibration independent related group radiocarbon_determination well_establish exist number software package perform necessary calculation implement them devise new statistical_model important motivation need archaeologist researcher select sample radiocarbon_date often interested specific plant_animal die instead want use_radiocarbon evidence help learn date event date directly great historical_archaeological significance found site initial focus formulate prior distribution reliably represent priori information_relate rate deposition dateable material within archaeological time_period phase archaeology phase define collection excavate material context layer bound early_late event archaeological importance current software estimate boundary date allow possible type priori distribution