Hamilton, W. Derek

Jensen, Anne M.

Krus, Anthony

Sayle, Kerry

English

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Alaska Journal of Anthropology vol. 14, nos. 1 & 2 (2016) 107research notesAnne M. Jensen, editorUIC Science, LLC, Box 936, Barrow, AK 99723; amjuics@gmail.comarctic alaskaresearch in progress: assessing marine radiocarbon reservoir effect variation  in greater utqiag˙vik, alaskaSubmitted by Anthony Krus, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF, UK (tony.krus@glasgow.ac.uk)Anne M. Jensen, UIC Science LLC, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bryn Mawr CollegeW. Derek Hamilton, Scottish Universities Environmental Research CentreKerry Sayle, Scottish Universities Environmental Research CentreIn the summer of 2016, 30 samples of seal and caribou were submitted for radiocarbon dating and stable iso-tope analysis from archaeological sites in the greater Utqiag˙vik, Alaska, area. Specifically, one sample from the Utqiag˙vik Site, three from the Nuvuk cemetery, eight from Walakpa, and eighteen from Pingusugruk. The sta-ble isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating was done at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre at the University of Glasgow. This work was funded by a Research Incentive Grant titled ‘Estimating ancient Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects to develop bet-ter Arctic settlement histories’ (PI Anthony Krus and Co-I Derek Hamilton) from the Carnegie Trust for the University of Scotland.The project goal was to use multiple securely paired radiocarbon samples to assess the variation in marine ra-diocarbon reservoir effects (MRE) in greater Utqiag˙vik, Alaska during the Birnirk and Thule periods. Radiocarbon dates from marine-derived carbon are anomalously old if not corrected for MRE. Modern MRE values from the Alaskan Arctic are highly varied, from several hundred to over a thousand years, due to the extended residence time of 14C in oceanic environments. It is questionable how reflective modern values are of those from the past because changes in upwelling, climate, and ocean cur-rents will inevitably result in changes in local MRE values through time.The established weighted mean ∆R correction for MRE for Utqiag˙vik using known-age historically col-lected shells is 506 ± 69. The results of this project suggest temporal variation in MRE and a weighted mean ∆R of 411 ± 69 for Birnirk and Thule archaeological materials from the greater Utqiag˙vik area.For the final stages of the project, the ∆R correc-tion values will be further refined with newly developed Bayesian software for calculating DeltaR. A manuscript is currently being drafted that fully presents the meth-odology and results of the project. Beyond archaeological applications, this new MRE data will be of importance to geo- and marine sciences for calibration radiocarbon dates from shells and foraminifera and for a wider under-standing of changes in the ocean carbon cycle. Funding is currently being sought for a largescale multiyear follow-up project that aims to use a Bayesian approach for multi-isotopic modelling and chronology building to refine interpretations for chronology and diet in the Western Arctic further.walakpa archaeological  salvage project (wasp) 2016Submitted by Anne M. Jensen, UIC Science LLC, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bryn Mawr College (amjuics@gmail.com)Walakpa, located on Utqiag˙vik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) lands on the Chukchi Sea coast, 20 km south of Barrow, is the only site between Canada and Cape Krusenstern con-taining confirmed intact vertically stratified Paleoeskimo, Neoeskimo and recent occupations. Walakpa was stable until 2013, when waves undercut it, exposing stratigra-phy 2 m deep. A third of the features mapped by Stanford 

Research in progress: Assessing marine radiocarbon reservoir effect variation in greater Utqiaġvik, Alaska

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Alaska Journal of Anthropology vol. 14, nos. 1 & 2 (2016) 107
research notes
Anne M. Jensen, editor
UIC Science, LLC, Box 936, Barrow, AK 99723; amjuics@gmail.com
arctic alaska
research in progress: assessing marine 
radiocarbon reservoir effect variation  
in greater utqiag˙vik, alaska
Submitted by Anthony Krus, Scottish Universities 
Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Enterprise 
Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF, UK (tony.
krus@glasgow.ac.uk)
Anne M. Jensen, UIC Science LLC, University of 
Alaska Fairbanks, Bryn Mawr College
W. Derek Hamilton, Scottish Universities 
Environmental Research Centre
Kerry Sayle, Scottish Universities Environmental 
Research Centre
In the summer of 2016, 30 samples of seal and caribou 
were submitted for radiocarbon dating and stable iso-
tope analysis from archaeological sites in the greater 
Utqiag˙vik, Alaska, area. Specifically, one sample from 
the Utqiag˙vik Site, three from the Nuvuk cemetery, eight 
from Walakpa, and eighteen from Pingusugruk. The sta-
ble isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating was done at 
the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre 
at the University of Glasgow. This work was funded by 
a Research Incentive Grant titled ‘Estimating ancient 
Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects to develop bet-
ter Arctic settlement histories’ (PI Anthony Krus and 
Co-I Derek Hamilton) from the Carnegie Trust for the 
University of Scotland.
The project goal was to use multiple securely paired 
radiocarbon samples to assess the variation in marine ra-
diocarbon reservoir effects (MRE) in greater Utqiag˙vik, 
Alaska during the Birnirk and Thule periods. Radiocarbon 
dates from marine-derived carbon are anomalously old if 
not corrected for MRE. Modern MRE values from the 
Alaskan Arctic are highly varied, from several hundred 
to over a thousand years, due to the extended residence 
time of 14C in oceanic environments. It is questionable 
how reflective modern values are of those from the past 
because changes in upwelling, climate, and ocean cur-
rents will inevitably result in changes in local MRE values 
through time.
The established weighted mean ∆R correction for 
MRE for Utqiag˙vik using known-age historically col-
lected shells is 506 ± 69. The results of this project suggest 
temporal variation in MRE and a weighted mean ∆R of 
411 ± 69 for Birnirk and Thule archaeological materials 
from the greater Utqiag˙vik area.
For the final stages of the project, the ∆R correc-
tion values will be further refined with newly developed 
Bayesian software for calculating DeltaR. A manuscript 
is currently being drafted that fully presents the meth-
odology and results of the project. Beyond archaeological 
applications, this new MRE data will be of importance 
to geo- and marine sciences for calibration radiocarbon 
dates from shells and foraminifera and for a wider under-
standing of changes in the ocean carbon cycle. Funding 
is currently being sought for a largescale multiyear follow-
up project that aims to use a Bayesian approach for multi-
isotopic modelling and chronology building to refine 
interpretations for chronology and diet in the Western 
Arctic further.
walakpa archaeological  
salvage project (wasp) 2016
Submitted by Anne M. Jensen, UIC Science LLC, 
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bryn Mawr College 
(amjuics@gmail.com)
Walakpa, located on Utqiag˙vik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) 
lands on the Chukchi Sea coast, 20 km south of Barrow, is 
the only site between Canada and Cape Krusenstern con-
taining confirmed intact vertically stratified Paleoeskimo, 
Neoeskimo and recent occupations. Walakpa was stable 
until 2013, when waves undercut it, exposing stratigra-
phy 2 m deep. A third of the features mapped by Stanford 


http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/151729/7/151729.pdf

Research in progress: Assessing marine radiocarbon reservoir effect variation in greater Utqiaġvik, Alaska

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