Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Summed Radiocarbon Calibrations As A Population Proxy: A Critical Evaluation Using A Realistic Simulation Approach, Daniel A. Contreras, John Meadows

Daniel A. Contreras

The logic of using summed radiocarbon (14C) calibrations (cumulative probability density functions for large numbers of calibrated 14C dates) as proxies for past populations rests on the presumption of a proportional relationship between population size and the production, and subsequent preservation, recovery, and analysis, of 14C-datable material. Critiques of this approach have generally focused on the various problems that may undermine the validity of this assumption. Here, instead, we presume a perfect correspondence between population size and the quantity of datable material produced at any given time, and explore the question of how well summed 14C calibrations can track demographic …