Susanne Lindauer (Mannheim): Radiocarbon as a Link between Disciplines: Reservoir Effects in SE Arabia

Radiocarbon is a valuable tool for archaeology and geoscience to achieve ages for many kinds of material, such as wood, charcoal, bone, seed to name but a few. Marine organisms usually seem older than their calendar age because carbon can be stored in oceans for centuries and is brought back to the surface depending on ocean circulation in so-called upwelling areas where e.g. shells live. This age difference is called reservoir age. Nevertheless, using marine organisms like shells can open up a complete new world when paying attention to the species and combining data with other climate proxies.
This talk will provide some insights into the proper determination and use of reservoir effects on shells and how they can link archaeology, oceanography and paleoclimate research. The presentation will concentrate on work done in the Arabian Gulf as well as in the Gulf of Oman on shell species that live in or near mangrove forests.