Recipient Dr Danielle McLean
Date 22 April, 2022
Amount £8000
Summary Archaeological sites in NW Africa are rich in human fossils, and have emerged at the forefront of evolutionary studies. However, these records are difficult to underpin by a precise chronology, preventing assessments of the timing/causes of cultural change. Our pilot studies reveal numerous volcanic ash (tephra) layers are interbedded within the sites and originate from large volcanic eruptions in the Atlantic (e.g., Azores). The tephra offer new possibilities for dating archaeological sequences, and for the first time, markers to directly synchronise to past climate records. Further work is essential at the source volcanoes to thoroughly investigate their eruptive histories and ensure robust correlations. Funds will support fieldwork in the Azores to collect reference samples from key explosive events. These will be geochemically analysed to determine their diagnostic ‘fingerprint’, essential for correlating. Moreover, the funds will be used to 40Ar/39Ar date these samples, providing critical new chronological anchors.