OXYGEN ISOTOPE ANALYSIS AND SEASONALITY DETERMINATIONS: LIMITS AND POTENTIAL OF A NEW TECHNIQUE.

Washington, D.C.: Society for American Archaeology Book. Very Good. Soft cover. pp390-398, illustrated. Removed from AMERICAN ANTIQUITY. JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY, Volume 48, Number 2, April, 1983. VG. In report covers. May include a first or last copied page. Synopsis: "This paper presents a critical assessment of Killingley's approach (1981) to the determination of month of collection of marine molluscs by prehistoric people. The basis of the method is careful oxygen isotope measurements made in successive growth increments in the shells. The authors have analyzed specimens of Monodonta and Patella collected live on the coast of northern Spain, in conjunction with seasonality studies on molluscs from prehistoric sites in the neighborhood. These studies confirm the necessity of making careful analyses of each species under consideration. Given the significance both of interspecies differences and of climatic variability on timescales from a year upwards (particularly important in Killingley's area), they conclude that his apparent accuracy of (plus or minus) a month is illusory." Also includes: SEASONALITY DETERMINATION BY OXYGEN ISOTOPIC PROFILE: A REPLY TO BAILEY ET AL, by John S. Killingley, pp399-403, tables. This is the author's response to Bailey et al. Synopsis: "Profiles were measured on two species of intertidal mollusks (Tegula funebralis and Collisella limatula) to provide further evidence for the applicability of the technique to seasonality studies.".