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AMS RADIOCARBON DATES ON
TYPE G1 AND K1 OLIVELLA SHELL BEADS
FROM CA-MNT-1701,
CARMEL VALLEY, MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

by

Gary S. Breschini and Trudy Haversat

August 11, 2001

A two-unit excavation at CA-MNT-1701, in the hills south of the Carmel Valley, produced 23 radiocarbon dates. Of these, 3 were obtained on Type G1 and K1 Olivella shell beads.

The beads are illustrated below.

Figure 1. Olivella Shell Beads from CA-MNT-1701 (front and back sides).

Radiocarbon Dates

The AMS radiocarbon dates obtained from these beads are listed in Table 1, below.

Table 1. Radiocarbon Dates from Olivella Shell Beads from CA-MNT-1701
(Delta-R = 225 ± 35).

Meas. age	Lab. No.	Material	Provenience	C13	Int.	2 sigma cal.
850 ± 50	Beta-156476	Shell-Olivella G1	Unit 1, 80-90 cm (#1701-066)	0.7	AD 1320	AD 1250-1430
890 ± 40	Beta-156474	Shell-Olivella K1	Unit 2, 20-30 cm #1701-090	0.3	AD 1300	AD 1240-1400
1370 ± 40	Beta-156475	Shell-Olivella G1	Unit 2, 10-20 cm (#1701-083)	1.3	AD 800	AD 700-920

Eighteen additional radiocarbon dates on shell, all from Unit 1, range between 760 and 1390 (measured age). Two additional dates, obtained from charcoal, also fall within this range.

The dates on G1 beads supplement two previous dates which we and Randy Milliken obtained from CA-MNT-234, at Moss Landing.

References

Gifford, E.W. 1947. Californian Shell Artifacts. University of California Anthropological Records 9(1):1-114.

Hughes, Richard E., ed. 1994. Toward a New Taxonomic Framework for Central California Archaeology: Essays by James A. Bennyhoff and David A. Fredrickson. Contributions of the University of California Archaeological Research Facility 52.