Chronology of the Huxushan Paleolithic Site in South China: Inferred from Multiple Luminescence Dating Techniques

Hai-Cheng Lai; Yi-Yuan Li; Jia-Fu Zhang; Liping Zhou

doi:10.2478/geochr-2020-0039

Figures & Tables

(a) Map showing the location of the study site, and (b) photograph of the excavation pit showing the stratigraphy and the positions of OSL samples.

Comparison of dose-response curves constructed using the quartz OSL-SAR and OSL-SMAR protocols for sample L3481. The inset shows a natural decay curve for the same aliquot.

(a) Plot of De values as a function of preheat temperature in the range of 180 and 280°C at 20°C increments for sample L3478, and (b) recycling ratios and recuperation against preheat temperature. Three aliquots were determined at each preheat temperature.

Plot of recovery ratios versus preheat temperature for sample L3478. Three aliquots were tested at each preheat temperature.

Decay curves of natural (a) thermally-transferred (TT) and (b) basic-transferred (BT) OSL, regenerative-dose (c) TT-OSL and (d) BT-OSL signals; dose-response curves for the sensitivity-corrected TT-OSL (square) and BT-OSL (solid circle) signals (e) and recuperated OSL (Re-OSL) signals (f). The insets in (a–d) showing the test-dose (18.3 Gy) OSL signals following natural and regenerative-dose OSL measurements.

Age – depth model showing the quartz SAR-, SMAR-, TT-OSL ages and the polymineral pIRIR(100, 275) ages of the seven samples. The shaded area shows the sedimentary layer where stone artifacts were unearthed.

Decay curves of IRSL (50°C) and MET-pIRIR signals measured at different stimulation temperatures for a single polymineral aliquot of sample L3478.

Natural decay curves of the polymineral pIRIR(100, 275) signals for the study samples.

Dose-response curves of pIRIR(100, 275) signals for single polymineral aliquots of the top sample (L3475, a) and the bottom sample (L3481, b). Insets show the natural decay curves for the two samples.

Plots of pIRIR275 De values against different sample temperatures for the first IRSL measurements for sample L3478. Three fine polymineral aliquots were measured at each temperature for the IRSL measurements.

The results of luminescence dating of fine-grained quartz using different procedures and fine polymineral grains using the pIRIR(100, 275) procedure_

Lab No.	Layer	Depth (cm)	U (ppm)	Th (ppm)	K (%)	Water (%)	Cosmic dose rate (Gy/ka)a	Mineral	Number of Aliquotb	Method	Dose rate (Gy ka⁻¹)	D_e (Gy)	Age (ka)
L3475	2	50	4.1	19.7	1.8	23.0	0.20	Quartz	9	OSL-SAR	4.3 ± 0.3	290.8 ± 7.3	67 ± 4
									3(6)	OSL-SMAR		283.1 ± 5.1	66 ± 4
									6(6)	TT-OSL SAR		268.9 ± 8.9	62 ± 4
								Polymineral	3	pIRIR_{(100, 275)}	5.1 ± 0.3	389.5 ± 27.8	77 ± 7

L3476	3	100	3.7	18.0	1.7	23.0	0.18	Quartz	9	OSL-SAR	4.0 ± 0.2	361.8 ± 9.6	91 ± 6
									3(6)	OSL-SMAR		334.7 ± 10.1	84 ± 6
									6(6)	TT-OSL SAR		307.5 ± 21.7	78 ± 7
								Polymineral	3	pIRIR_{(100, 275)}	4.6 ± 0.3	546.3 ± 24.4	118 ± 8

L3477	3	150	3.7	19.0	1.7	23.0	0.17	Quartz	9	OSL-SAR	4.0 ± 0.2	371.4 ± 21.0	92 ± 8
									3(6)	OSL-SMAR		364.4 ± 25.7	90 ± 8
									6(6)	TT-OSL SAR		334.0 ± 21.23	83 ± 7
								Polymineral	3	pIRIR_{(100, 275)}	4.7 ± 0.3	518.3 ± 7.2	110 ± 6

L3478	4	200	3.2	16.5	1.6	23.0	0.16	Quartz	9	OSL-SAR	3.6 ± 0.2	466.2 ± 18.3	129 ± 9
									3(6)	OSL-SMAR		380.4 ± 9.1	105 ± 7
									6(6)	TT-OSL SAR		400.1 ± 24.4	111 ± 9
								Polymineral	4	pIRIR_{(100, 275)}	4.2 ± 0.2	732.4 ± 60.8	174 ± 17

L3479	4	250	3.8	17.5	1.5	23.0	0.15	Quartz	9	OSL-SAR	3.8 ± 0.2	423.9 ± 7.6	113 ± 7
									3(6)	OSL-SMAR		398.1 ± 8.7	106 ± 7
									6(6)	TT-OSL SAR		396.8±5.3	105 ± 7
								Polymineral	3	pIRIR_{(100, 275)}	4.4 ± 0.3	458.0 ± 18.8	103 ± 7

L3480	4	300	4.0	19.3	1.4	23.0	0.14	Quartz	9	OSL-SAR	3.9 ± 0.3	442.3 ± 20.1	114 ± 9
									3(6)	OSL-SMAR		423.9 ± 21.9	110 ± 9
									6(6)	TT-OSL SAR		442.2 ± 20.1	114 ± 9
								Polymineral	3	pIRIR_{(100, 275)}	4.6 ± 0.3	465.2 ± 9.9	101 ± 6

L3481	5	350	3.6	16.7	1.3	23.0	0.13	Quartz	9	OSL-SAR	3.5 ± 0.2	459.6 ± 6.2	133 ± 9
									3(6)	OSL-SMAR		426.9 ± 17.4	123 ± 9
									6(6)	TT-OSL SAR		440.0 ± 9.5	127 ± 9
								Polymineral	5	pIRIR_{(100, 275)}	4.1 ± 0.2	586.6 ± 74.3	143 ± 20

Procedures used for De measurements of fine polymineral grains_

Step	MET-pIRIR procedure	Observed	Step	Two-step pIRIR procedure	Observed
1	Give dose, D_i		1	Give dose, D_i
2	Preheating at 320°C for 60 s		2	Preheating at 320°C for 60 s
3	Infrared stimulation at 50°C for 100 s	L_x(50)	3	Infrared stimulation at 100°C for 200 s
4	Infrared stimulation at 150°C for 100 s	L_x(150)	4	Infrared stimulation at 275°C for 200 s	L_i
5	Infrared stimulation at 200°C for 100 s	L_x(200)	5	Give test dose, D_t (91.5 Gy)
6	Infrared stimulation at 250°C for 100 s	L_x(250)	6	Cut heat at 320°C for 60 s
7	Infrared stimulation at 290°C for 100 s	L_x(290)	7	Infrared stimulation at 100°C for 200 s
8	Give test dose, D_t (91.5 Gy)		8	Infrared stimulation at 275°C for 200 s	T_i
9	Preheating at 320°C for 60 s		9	Infrared stimulation at 325°C for 200 s
10	Infrared stimulation at 50°C for 100 s	T_x(50)	10	Return to step 1
11	Infrared stimulation at 150°C for 100 s	T_x(150)
12	Infrared stimulation at 200°C for 100 s	T_x(200)
13	Infrared stimulation at 250°C for 100 s	T_x(250)
14	Infrared stimulation at 290°C for 100 s	T_x(290)
15	IR bleaching at 325°C for 100 s
16	Return to step 1

Protocols used for De measurements of fine quartz grains_

Step	OSL-SAR protocol	Observed	Step	OSL-SMAR protocol	Observed	Step	TT-OSL SAR procedure	Observed
1	Give dose, D_i		Part 1 Detection of natural OSL signal			Part 1 Detection of thermal-transferred OSL signal
2	Preheating at 250°C for 10 s		1-1	Preheating at 250°C for 10 s		1-1	Give dose, D_i
2	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 40 s	L_i	1-2	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 40 s	L_n	1-2	Preheating at 250°C for 10 s
4	Give test dose, D_t (18.3 Gy)		1-3	Give test dose, D_t (18.3 Gy)		1-3	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 300 s
5	Cut heat at 160°C for 5 s		1-4	Cut heat at 160°C for 5 s		1-4	Preheating at 250°C for 10 s
6	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 40 s	T_i	1-5	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 40 s	T_n	1-5	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 40 s	L_TTOSL
7	Blue stimulation at 280°C for 40 s		Part 2 Detection of regenerative OSL signal			1-6	Give test dose, D_t (18.3 Gy)
8	Return to step 1		2-1	Bleaching at 125°C for 60 s		1-7	Cut heat at 160°C for 5 s
			2-2	Give dose, D_i		1-8	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 100 s	T_TTOSL
			2-3	Preheating at 250°C for 10 s		Part 2 Detection of basic-transferred OSL signal
			2-4	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 40 s	L_i	2-1	Annealing to 300°C for 10 s
			2-5	Give test dose, D_t (18.3 Gy)		2-2	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 100 s
			2-6	Cut heat at 160°C for 5 s		2-3	Preheating at 250°C for 10 s
			2-7	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 40 s	T_i	2-4	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 100 s	L_BTOSL
						2-5	Give test dose, D_t (18.3 Gy)
						2-6	Cut heat at 220°C for 10 s
						2-7	Blue stimulation at 125°C for 100 s	T_BTOSL
						2-8	Blue stimulation at 280°C for 100 s

Chronology of the Huxushan Paleolithic Site in South China: Inferred from Multiple Luminescence Dating Techniques

Figures & Tables

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The results of luminescence dating of fine-grained quartz using different procedures and fine polymineral grains using the pIRIR(100, 275) procedure_

Procedures used for De measurements of fine polymineral grains_

Protocols used for De measurements of fine quartz grains_

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