P. Goldberg et Tl. Arpin, Micromorphological analysis of sediments from Meadowcroft Rockshelter, Pennsylvania: Implications for radiocarbon dating, J FIELD ARC, 26(3), 1999, pp. 325-342
Meadowcroft Rockshelter (36Wh297), in Pennsylvania, is an important site in
North American prehistory because of its long, continuous sequence of occu
pation and its controversial pre-Clovis dates. While a geoarchaeological an
alysis of the site has been conducted over twelve seasons of excavation bet
ween 1973 and 1999, questions have remained concerning the potential for gr
oundwater contamination of the lowest levels that could have contributed to
falsely early radiocarbon dates. The present study employs a micromorpholo
gical analysis of sediments to clarify the depositional and post-deposition
al history of the site. The results largely confirm the original work of th
e excavators, pointing to deposition by attrition, roof fall, and sheet was
h, and reveal no evidence of groundwater contamination of the early levels.