Correlating the Ancient Maya and Modern European Calendars with High-Precision AMS C-14 Dating
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Date
2013-04-11
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
The reasons for the development and collapse of Maya civilization remain controversial and historical events carved on stone monuments throughout this region provide a remarkable source of data about the rise and fall of these complex polities. Use of these records depends on correlating the Maya and European calendars so that they can be compared with climate and environmental datasets. Correlation constants can vary up to 1000 years and remain controversial. We report a series of high-resolution AMS 14C dates on a wooden lintel collected from the Classic Period city of Tikal bearing Maya calendar dates. The radiocarbon dates were calibrated using a Bayesian statistical model and indicate that the dates were carved on the lintel between AD 658-696. This strongly supports the Goodman-Martínez-Thompson (GMT) correlation and the hypothesis that climate change played an important role in the development and demise of this complex civilization.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
3
Pages / Article No.
1597
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Event
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
Natural products; Geochemistry; Climate-change adaptation; Atmospheric chemistry
Organisational unit
08619 - Labor für Ionenstrahlphysik (LIP) / Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics (LIP)
03775 - Haug, Gerald H. / Haug, Gerald H.