Radiocarbon-Based Chronology for Dynastic Egypt

Autor(en)

Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Michael W. Dee, Joanne M. Rowland, T Higham, Stephen A. Harris, F. Brock, Anita Quiles, Eva Maria Wild, Ezra S. Marcus, Andrew J. Shortland

Abstrakt

The historical chronologies for dynastic Egypt are based on reign lengths inferred from written and archaeological evidence. These floating chronologies are linked to the absolute calendar by a few ancient astronomical observations, which remain a source of debate. We used 211 radiocarbon measurements made on samples from short-lived plants, together with a Bayesian model incorporating historical information on reign lengths, to produce a chronology for dynastic Egypt. A small offset (19 radiocarbon years older) in radiocarbon levels in the Nile Valley is probably a growing-season effect. Our radiocarbon data indicate that the New Kingdom started between 1570 and 1544 B. C. E., and the reign of Djoser in the Old Kingdom started between 2691 and 2625 B. C. E.; both cases are earlier than some previous historical estimates.

Organisation(en)

Isotopenphysik

Externe Organisation(en)

University of Oxford, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), University of Haifa, Cranfield University

Journal

Science

Band

328

Seiten

1554-1557

Anzahl der Seiten

4

ISSN

0036-8075

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1189395

Publikationsdatum

2010

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

1030 Physik, Astronomie

Link zum Portal

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/radiocarbonbased-chronology-for-dynastic-egypt(e6609f61-e766-42f9-8af8-e445cbab39d6).html