Gordon Cook - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Gordon Cook
Medieval Archaeology, 2010
Using an Osteobiographical approach, this contribution considers the identity of the woman found ... more Using an Osteobiographical approach, this contribution considers the identity of the woman found alongside the St Bees Man, one of the best-preserved archaeological bodies ever discovered. Osteological, isotopic and radiocarbon analyses, combined with the archaeological context of the burial and documented social history, provide the basis for the identification of a late 14th-century heiress whose activities were at the heart of medieval northern English geopolitics.
CITATIONS 4 READS 14 5 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also worki... more CITATIONS 4 READS 14 5 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Suigetsu Varves 2006 View project Understanding the persistence, transformation and fate of CIPC in commercial potato stores to help guard against cross-contamination View project
Journal of the North Atlantic, 2014
18 During the Viking Age, Norse peoples established settlements across the North Atlantic, coloni... more 18 During the Viking Age, Norse peoples established settlements across the North Atlantic, colonizing 19 the pristine and near-pristine landscapes of the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and the short-lived 20 Vinland settlement in Newfoundland. Current North Atlantic archaeological research themes 21 include efforts to understand human adaptation and impact in these environments. For example, 22 dramatic effect upon the ecology and environment of the North Atlantic islands, with impacts 30 enduring to the present day. 31 32
American Anthropologist, 2007
Early settlement in the North Atlantic produced complex interactions of culture and nature. The s... more Early settlement in the North Atlantic produced complex interactions of culture and nature. The sustained program of interdisciplinary collaboration is intended to focus on ninth- to 13th-century sites and landscapes in the highland interior lake basin of Mývatn in Iceland and to contribute a long-term perspective to larger issues of sustainable resource use, soil erosion, and the historical ecology of global change.
![Research paper thumbnail of Food for thought: re-assessing Mesolithic diets in the Iron Gates [2015]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/38831946/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in human bone collagen are used routinely t... more Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in human bone collagen are used routinely to aid in the reconstruction of ancient diets. Isotopic analysis of human remains from sites in the Iron Gates section of the Lower Danube Valley has led to conflicting interpretations of Mesolithic diets in this key region of southeast Europe. One view (Bonsall et al. 1997, 2004) is that diets were based mainly on riverine resources throughout the Mesolithic. A competing hypothesis (Nehlich et al. 2010) argues that Mesolithic diets were more varied with at least one Early Mesolithic site showing an emphasis on terrestrial resources, and riverine resources only becoming dominant in the Later Mesolithic. The present article revisits this issue, discussing the stable isotope data in relation to archaeozoological and radiocarbon evidence.
Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 2005
Megafaunal burrows were detected in boxcores from two sites in the bathyal north-east Atlantic. B... more Megafaunal burrows were detected in boxcores from two sites in the bathyal north-east Atlantic. Burrow contents were analysed to assess their significance to sediment radiotracer profiles and organic composition. At 1100 m depth, burrow openings up to 3 cm diameter occurred at a density of approximately 5 m À2 . Burrows at 12-18 cm sediment depth extending horizontally for up to 35 cm and linked to the surface by vertical shafts were provisionally attributed to echiuran worms, although no occupants were found in situ. In one example the horizontal burrow section was filled with green slurry, for which scanning electron microscopy, 210 Pb excess and organic content all indicated a phytodetrital origin. At 1920 m depth no large burrow openings were found in five boxcores examined, but large subsurface biogenic structures were present. Galleries at 15-26 cm depth were traced horizontally for up to 30 cm, but contained no occupants or filling. Extended linear bands of faecal pellets were found in three boxcores at 13-17 cm depth. Excess 210 Pb content indicated that most of these structures resulted from surface deposit feeding. Faecal pellet bands may partially explain the occurrence of subsurface peaks detected in profiles of 210 Pb excess at this site. Results suggest that 'caching' of phytodetritus and subsurface deposition of faeces are two mechanisms for the rapid, deep burial of relatively fresh organic matter, but the significance of these processes to sediment geochemistry ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/dsr 0967-0637/$ -see front matter r (D.J. Hughes).
Human bones from single inhumation burials and artifacts made from terrestrial mammal (ungulate) ... more Human bones from single inhumation burials and artifacts made from terrestrial mammal (ungulate) bone found in direct association with the skeletons were obtained from the Stone Age site of Schela Cladovei situated just below the Iron Gates Gorge of the River Danube. The results of stable isotope analyses of the human bone collagen are consistent with a heavy dependence on aquatic protein while radiocarbon dating of the samples reveals an offset of 300-500 years between the two sample types, indicating a freshwater reservoir effect in the human bone samples. Since protein consumption is by far the major source of nitrogen in the human diet we have assumed a linear relationship between d 15 N and the level of aquatic protein in each individual's diet and derived a calibration for 14 C age offset versus d 15 N which has been applied to a series of results from the site at Lepenski Vir within the gorge. The corrected 14 C ages (7310-6720 BP) are now consistent with the previous 14 C age measurements made on charcoal from related contexts (7360-6560 BP). In addition, the data indicate a change from a primarily aquatic to a mixed terrestrial/aquatic diet around 7100 BP and this may be argued as supporting a shift from Mesolithic to Neolithic. This study also has wider implications for the accurate dating of human bone samples when the possibility exists of an aquatic component in the dietary protein and strongly implies that d 15 N analysis should be undertaken routinely when dating human bones.
Pottery sherds can be dated by four methods: (i) stylistic features; (ii) luminescence analysis o... more Pottery sherds can be dated by four methods: (i) stylistic features; (ii) luminescence analysis of minerals within the sherd; (iii) 14 C assay of carbon on or within the sherd; and (iv) archaeomagnetic intensity of the sherd. Each method has its own sources of uncertainty. The results obtained by the various methods are reviewed, and the conclusion reached that a combination of at least two of the methods, where possible, is recommended in order to enhance confidence in the validity of the outcome.
![Research paper thumbnail of Radiocarbon and stable isotope evidence of dietary change from the Mesolithic to the Middle Ages in the Iron Gates: new results from Lepenski Vir [2004]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/1423541/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](A previous radiocarbon dating and stable isotope study of directly associated ungulate and human ... more A previous radiocarbon dating and stable isotope study of directly associated ungulate and human bone samples from Late Mesolithic burials at Schela Cladovei in Romania established that there is a freshwater reservoir effect of approximately 500 yr in the Iron Gates reach of the Danube River valley in southeast Europe. Using the δ15N values as an indicator of the percentage of freshwater protein in the human diet, the 14C data for 24 skeletons from the site of Lepenski Vir were corrected for this reservoir effect. The results of the paired 14C and stable isotope measurements provide evidence of substantial dietary change over the period from about 9000 BP to about 300 BP. The data from the Early Mesolithic to the Chalcolithic are consistent with a 2-component dietary system, where the linear plot of isotopic values reflects mixing between the 2 end-members to differing degrees. Typically, the individuals of Mesolithic age have much heavier δ15N signals and slightly heavier δ13C, while individuals of Early Neolithic and Chalcolithic age have lighter δ15N and δ13C values. Contrary to our earlier suggestion, there is no evidence of a substantial population that had a transitional diet midway between those that were characteristic of the Mesolithic and Neolithic. However, several individuals with “Final Mesolithic” 14C ages show δ15N and δ13C values that are similar to the Neolithic dietary pattern. Provisionally, these are interpreted either as incomers who originated in early farming communities outside the Iron Gates region or as indigenous individuals representing the earliest Neolithic of the Iron Gates. The results from Roman and Medieval age burials show a deviation from the linear function, suggesting the presence of a new major dietary component containing isotopically heavier carbon. This is interpreted as a consequence of the introduction of millet into the human food chain.
This paper reports on the zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical remains from the initial season ... more This paper reports on the zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical remains from the initial season of excavations at the Norse period site at Undir Junkarinsfløtti in the Faroe islands. These remains represent the first zooarchaeological analysis undertaken for the Faroes and only the third archaeobotanical assemblage published from the islands. The excavated deposits are described and the key findings from the palaeoenvironmental remains highlighted within the context of the wider North Atlantic environmental archaeology of the Norse period.
Changes of climate and vegetation in Southern Siberia during the Holocene and the dynamics of archaeological cultures (in Russian)
Acta Crystallographica Section B-structural Science, 2006
Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ((14)C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments
Journal of environmental radioactivity, Jan 7, 2015
The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In th... more The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of England. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon ((14)C) which is disposed of in various forms including highly soluble inorganic carbon within the low level liquid radioactive effluent, via pipelines into the Irish Sea. This (14)C is rapidly incorporated into the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reservoir and marine calcifying organisms, e.g. molluscs, readily utilise DIC for shell formation. This study investigated a number of sites located in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal zones. Results indicate (14)C enrichment above ambient background levels in shell material at least as far as Port Appin, 265 km north of Sellafield. Of the commonly found species (blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) and...
Radiocarbon is produced within minerals at the earth's surface (in situ production) by a number o... more Radiocarbon is produced within minerals at the earth's surface (in situ production) by a number of spallation reactions. Its relatively short half-life of 5730 yr provides us with a unique cosmogenic nuclide tool for the measurement of rapid erosion rates (>10 -3 cm yr -1 ) and events occurring over the past 25 kyr. At SUERC, we have designed and built a vacuum system to extract 14 C from quartz which is based on a system developed at the University of Arizona. This system uses resistance heating of samples to a temperature of approximately 1100 °C in the presence of lithium metaborate (LiBO 2 ) to dissolve the quartz and liberate any carbon present. During extraction, the carbon is oxidized to CO 2 in an O 2 atmosphere so that it may be collected cryogenically. The CO 2 is subsequently purified and converted to graphite for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurement. One of the biggest problems in measuring in situ 14 C is establishing a low and reproducible system blank and efficient extraction of the in situ 14 C component. Here, we present initial data for 14 C-free CO 2 , derived from geological carbonate and added to the vacuum system to determine the system blank. Shielded quartz samples (which should be 14 C free) and a surface quartz sample routinely analyzed at the University of Arizona were also analyzed at SUERC, and the data compared with values derived from the University of Arizona system.
Recent development and applicaiton in liquid scintillation counting. Recent advances and environmental applications in liquid scintillation spectrometry
Analytical Proceedings
ABSTRACT
What's cooking?: New radiocarbon dates from the earliest phases of the Perth High Street excavation and the question of Perth's early medieval origin
The radiocarbon dating of Icelandic tephra layers in Britain and Iceland
Radiocarbon
ABSTRACT
The influence of pretreatment on humic acid yield and 14C age Carex peat
Radiocarbon
ABSTRACT
Dugmore, A.J., Newton, A.J., Larsen, G. and Cook, G.T. 2000 ‘Tephrochronology, environmental change and the Norse settlement of Iceland’ Environmental Archaeology 5, 21-34
Radiocarbon
The paper is compares the chronology of the monuments of the Scythian epoch located in the east a... more The paper is compares the chronology of the monuments of the Scythian epoch located in the east and west of the Eurasian steppe zone on the basis of both archaeological and radiocarbon data. The lists of 14 C dates for the monuments located in different parts of Eurasia are presented according to the periods of their existence. Generally, the 14 C dates are confirmed the archaeological point of view and allow us to compare the chronological position of the European and Asian Scythian monuments on the united 14 C time scale.
Medieval Archaeology, 2010
Using an Osteobiographical approach, this contribution considers the identity of the woman found ... more Using an Osteobiographical approach, this contribution considers the identity of the woman found alongside the St Bees Man, one of the best-preserved archaeological bodies ever discovered. Osteological, isotopic and radiocarbon analyses, combined with the archaeological context of the burial and documented social history, provide the basis for the identification of a late 14th-century heiress whose activities were at the heart of medieval northern English geopolitics.
CITATIONS 4 READS 14 5 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also worki... more CITATIONS 4 READS 14 5 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Suigetsu Varves 2006 View project Understanding the persistence, transformation and fate of CIPC in commercial potato stores to help guard against cross-contamination View project
Journal of the North Atlantic, 2014
18 During the Viking Age, Norse peoples established settlements across the North Atlantic, coloni... more 18 During the Viking Age, Norse peoples established settlements across the North Atlantic, colonizing 19 the pristine and near-pristine landscapes of the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and the short-lived 20 Vinland settlement in Newfoundland. Current North Atlantic archaeological research themes 21 include efforts to understand human adaptation and impact in these environments. For example, 22 dramatic effect upon the ecology and environment of the North Atlantic islands, with impacts 30 enduring to the present day. 31 32
American Anthropologist, 2007
Early settlement in the North Atlantic produced complex interactions of culture and nature. The s... more Early settlement in the North Atlantic produced complex interactions of culture and nature. The sustained program of interdisciplinary collaboration is intended to focus on ninth- to 13th-century sites and landscapes in the highland interior lake basin of Mývatn in Iceland and to contribute a long-term perspective to larger issues of sustainable resource use, soil erosion, and the historical ecology of global change.
Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in human bone collagen are used routinely t... more Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in human bone collagen are used routinely to aid in the reconstruction of ancient diets. Isotopic analysis of human remains from sites in the Iron Gates section of the Lower Danube Valley has led to conflicting interpretations of Mesolithic diets in this key region of southeast Europe. One view (Bonsall et al. 1997, 2004) is that diets were based mainly on riverine resources throughout the Mesolithic. A competing hypothesis (Nehlich et al. 2010) argues that Mesolithic diets were more varied with at least one Early Mesolithic site showing an emphasis on terrestrial resources, and riverine resources only becoming dominant in the Later Mesolithic. The present article revisits this issue, discussing the stable isotope data in relation to archaeozoological and radiocarbon evidence.
Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 2005
Megafaunal burrows were detected in boxcores from two sites in the bathyal north-east Atlantic. B... more Megafaunal burrows were detected in boxcores from two sites in the bathyal north-east Atlantic. Burrow contents were analysed to assess their significance to sediment radiotracer profiles and organic composition. At 1100 m depth, burrow openings up to 3 cm diameter occurred at a density of approximately 5 m À2 . Burrows at 12-18 cm sediment depth extending horizontally for up to 35 cm and linked to the surface by vertical shafts were provisionally attributed to echiuran worms, although no occupants were found in situ. In one example the horizontal burrow section was filled with green slurry, for which scanning electron microscopy, 210 Pb excess and organic content all indicated a phytodetrital origin. At 1920 m depth no large burrow openings were found in five boxcores examined, but large subsurface biogenic structures were present. Galleries at 15-26 cm depth were traced horizontally for up to 30 cm, but contained no occupants or filling. Extended linear bands of faecal pellets were found in three boxcores at 13-17 cm depth. Excess 210 Pb content indicated that most of these structures resulted from surface deposit feeding. Faecal pellet bands may partially explain the occurrence of subsurface peaks detected in profiles of 210 Pb excess at this site. Results suggest that 'caching' of phytodetritus and subsurface deposition of faeces are two mechanisms for the rapid, deep burial of relatively fresh organic matter, but the significance of these processes to sediment geochemistry ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/dsr 0967-0637/$ -see front matter r (D.J. Hughes).
Human bones from single inhumation burials and artifacts made from terrestrial mammal (ungulate) ... more Human bones from single inhumation burials and artifacts made from terrestrial mammal (ungulate) bone found in direct association with the skeletons were obtained from the Stone Age site of Schela Cladovei situated just below the Iron Gates Gorge of the River Danube. The results of stable isotope analyses of the human bone collagen are consistent with a heavy dependence on aquatic protein while radiocarbon dating of the samples reveals an offset of 300-500 years between the two sample types, indicating a freshwater reservoir effect in the human bone samples. Since protein consumption is by far the major source of nitrogen in the human diet we have assumed a linear relationship between d 15 N and the level of aquatic protein in each individual's diet and derived a calibration for 14 C age offset versus d 15 N which has been applied to a series of results from the site at Lepenski Vir within the gorge. The corrected 14 C ages (7310-6720 BP) are now consistent with the previous 14 C age measurements made on charcoal from related contexts (7360-6560 BP). In addition, the data indicate a change from a primarily aquatic to a mixed terrestrial/aquatic diet around 7100 BP and this may be argued as supporting a shift from Mesolithic to Neolithic. This study also has wider implications for the accurate dating of human bone samples when the possibility exists of an aquatic component in the dietary protein and strongly implies that d 15 N analysis should be undertaken routinely when dating human bones.
Pottery sherds can be dated by four methods: (i) stylistic features; (ii) luminescence analysis o... more Pottery sherds can be dated by four methods: (i) stylistic features; (ii) luminescence analysis of minerals within the sherd; (iii) 14 C assay of carbon on or within the sherd; and (iv) archaeomagnetic intensity of the sherd. Each method has its own sources of uncertainty. The results obtained by the various methods are reviewed, and the conclusion reached that a combination of at least two of the methods, where possible, is recommended in order to enhance confidence in the validity of the outcome.
A previous radiocarbon dating and stable isotope study of directly associated ungulate and human ... more A previous radiocarbon dating and stable isotope study of directly associated ungulate and human bone samples from Late Mesolithic burials at Schela Cladovei in Romania established that there is a freshwater reservoir effect of approximately 500 yr in the Iron Gates reach of the Danube River valley in southeast Europe. Using the δ15N values as an indicator of the percentage of freshwater protein in the human diet, the 14C data for 24 skeletons from the site of Lepenski Vir were corrected for this reservoir effect. The results of the paired 14C and stable isotope measurements provide evidence of substantial dietary change over the period from about 9000 BP to about 300 BP. The data from the Early Mesolithic to the Chalcolithic are consistent with a 2-component dietary system, where the linear plot of isotopic values reflects mixing between the 2 end-members to differing degrees. Typically, the individuals of Mesolithic age have much heavier δ15N signals and slightly heavier δ13C, while individuals of Early Neolithic and Chalcolithic age have lighter δ15N and δ13C values. Contrary to our earlier suggestion, there is no evidence of a substantial population that had a transitional diet midway between those that were characteristic of the Mesolithic and Neolithic. However, several individuals with “Final Mesolithic” 14C ages show δ15N and δ13C values that are similar to the Neolithic dietary pattern. Provisionally, these are interpreted either as incomers who originated in early farming communities outside the Iron Gates region or as indigenous individuals representing the earliest Neolithic of the Iron Gates. The results from Roman and Medieval age burials show a deviation from the linear function, suggesting the presence of a new major dietary component containing isotopically heavier carbon. This is interpreted as a consequence of the introduction of millet into the human food chain.
This paper reports on the zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical remains from the initial season ... more This paper reports on the zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical remains from the initial season of excavations at the Norse period site at Undir Junkarinsfløtti in the Faroe islands. These remains represent the first zooarchaeological analysis undertaken for the Faroes and only the third archaeobotanical assemblage published from the islands. The excavated deposits are described and the key findings from the palaeoenvironmental remains highlighted within the context of the wider North Atlantic environmental archaeology of the Norse period.
Changes of climate and vegetation in Southern Siberia during the Holocene and the dynamics of archaeological cultures (in Russian)
Acta Crystallographica Section B-structural Science, 2006
Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ((14)C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments
Journal of environmental radioactivity, Jan 7, 2015
The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In th... more The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of England. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon ((14)C) which is disposed of in various forms including highly soluble inorganic carbon within the low level liquid radioactive effluent, via pipelines into the Irish Sea. This (14)C is rapidly incorporated into the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reservoir and marine calcifying organisms, e.g. molluscs, readily utilise DIC for shell formation. This study investigated a number of sites located in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal zones. Results indicate (14)C enrichment above ambient background levels in shell material at least as far as Port Appin, 265 km north of Sellafield. Of the commonly found species (blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) and...
Radiocarbon is produced within minerals at the earth's surface (in situ production) by a number o... more Radiocarbon is produced within minerals at the earth's surface (in situ production) by a number of spallation reactions. Its relatively short half-life of 5730 yr provides us with a unique cosmogenic nuclide tool for the measurement of rapid erosion rates (>10 -3 cm yr -1 ) and events occurring over the past 25 kyr. At SUERC, we have designed and built a vacuum system to extract 14 C from quartz which is based on a system developed at the University of Arizona. This system uses resistance heating of samples to a temperature of approximately 1100 °C in the presence of lithium metaborate (LiBO 2 ) to dissolve the quartz and liberate any carbon present. During extraction, the carbon is oxidized to CO 2 in an O 2 atmosphere so that it may be collected cryogenically. The CO 2 is subsequently purified and converted to graphite for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurement. One of the biggest problems in measuring in situ 14 C is establishing a low and reproducible system blank and efficient extraction of the in situ 14 C component. Here, we present initial data for 14 C-free CO 2 , derived from geological carbonate and added to the vacuum system to determine the system blank. Shielded quartz samples (which should be 14 C free) and a surface quartz sample routinely analyzed at the University of Arizona were also analyzed at SUERC, and the data compared with values derived from the University of Arizona system.
Recent development and applicaiton in liquid scintillation counting. Recent advances and environmental applications in liquid scintillation spectrometry
Analytical Proceedings
ABSTRACT
What's cooking?: New radiocarbon dates from the earliest phases of the Perth High Street excavation and the question of Perth's early medieval origin
The radiocarbon dating of Icelandic tephra layers in Britain and Iceland
Radiocarbon
ABSTRACT
The influence of pretreatment on humic acid yield and 14C age Carex peat
Radiocarbon
ABSTRACT
Dugmore, A.J., Newton, A.J., Larsen, G. and Cook, G.T. 2000 ‘Tephrochronology, environmental change and the Norse settlement of Iceland’ Environmental Archaeology 5, 21-34
Radiocarbon
The paper is compares the chronology of the monuments of the Scythian epoch located in the east a... more The paper is compares the chronology of the monuments of the Scythian epoch located in the east and west of the Eurasian steppe zone on the basis of both archaeological and radiocarbon data. The lists of 14 C dates for the monuments located in different parts of Eurasia are presented according to the periods of their existence. Generally, the 14 C dates are confirmed the archaeological point of view and allow us to compare the chronological position of the European and Asian Scythian monuments on the united 14 C time scale.