Chemical characterization and radiocarbon dating of the rock art of Las Charcas caves, Cuba
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2021
Department/School
Chemistry
Publication Title
Archaeometry
Abstract
There has been much debate over the decades amongst Cuban archaeologists about what group or groups may have created the rock art in the karst caves of Cuba. The complexities of Cuba's history made dating rock paintings an attractive method for determining their origins. Samples were collected from three caves in Mayabeque province, collectively referred to as Las Charcas. Chemical analyses were carried out along with plasma–chemical oxidation and accelerator mass spectrometric radiocarbon dating. The paintings in two caves contained bitumen, resulting in anomalously old dates, whilst the other cave's amorphous carbon-based paintings fit within a pre-Columbian context.
Link to Published Version
Recommended Citation
Armitage, R. A., Arrazcaeta, R., Torres, S., Baker, S. M., & Fraser, D. (2021). Chemical characterization and radiocarbon dating of the rock art of Las Charcas caves, Cuba. Archaeometry, 63(4), 878–892. https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12639