7.4: Dating Exercise (Worksheet)

Descriptions of Strata

Layer A
This is the current surface, as well as the immediate subsurface, of the site.

Layer B
Fragments of historic glass and ceramics were found in this layer, but most were not sufficiently intact to contain diagnostic information. One intact glass bottle (a) was removed from Layer B. Characteristics of the bottle’s seams show that it was machine-made. Automated bottle-making machines were first used in the region around 1905. The bottle has a manufacturer’s mark from a company that shut down in 1920.

Layer C
Layer C yielded one human burial in an extended position (b). A cache of coins inside a jar (c) was associated with the skeleton. Several coins were too worn to discern any pictures or writing, but coins that were readable had the years 1727, 1733, 1734, and 1736. These types of coins were no longer used after 1750.

Layer D
This layer contained one human skeleton in a flexed position (d). Two bone harpoons (e, f) were in the grave, which were stylistically consistent with artifacts from nearby sites dated to the Magdalenian (ca. 17,000–11,000 years ago).

Layer E
Layer E included charcoal from a hearth that was likely used for cooking (g). This stratum also contained two clay Venus figurines (h, i). Venus figurines are usually dated around 21,000 to 26,000 years ago but can be found between 35,000 to 11,000 years ago.

Layer F
From Layer F, excavators removed several stone tools. Two of the tools (j, k) were diagnostic of the Mousterian industry, which is a technology used by Neanderthals between approximately 150,000 to 40,000 years ago. The fossilized remains of three extinct species were also found in Layer F. One species was a woolly rhinoceros (l), which is estimated to have existed from about 3 million years ago to 10,000 years ago. Another species was a straight-tusked elephant (m), which lived in the area approximately 400,000 to 50,000 years ago. The third species was a saber-toothed cat (n), estimated to exist 42 million years ago to 11,000 years ago.

Layer G
This stratum was made of volcanic rock and contained no cultural or paleontological material.

Layer H
The only significant find in Layer H was the fossilized cranium of an unidentified hominin (o).

Layer I
Layer I was made of volcanic rock and contained the preserved footprints of a bipedal hominin.

Layer J
This was the deepest stratum and contained the fossilized cranium (p) and femur (q) of an unidentified hominin(s). Charcoal (r) was present, but it is unknown whether the fire was intentional.