Explain It! - Dating Methods

1. Select two site descriptions from below.
   1. Site 1: A partial femur and occipital bone provisionally attributed to Homo erectus were found in the Sichuan Province, China. Core samples of sedimentary rocks are provided for dating. Stratigraphic correlation with sedimentary rocks from a nearby site dates the Sichuan site at approximately 4.5 million years ago. What dating method could you use?
   2. Site 2: You have been excavating the Canva Malta site in the Iberian Peninsula and have made an astonishing discovery! Your site is rich with mammal fossils, including very well-known index fossils. Your site also contains a previously unknown species of primate from the genus Microchoerus. The geologic bed containing the new Microchoerus species is composed of reddish clays and silt, with organic deposits of charcoal and peat deposits spread throughout. The fossil-bearing bed is directly on top of a volcanic basalt which has been previously dated, using the radiopotassium method, to 19 million years ago. If this date for the basalt is correct, your find more than triples the known age range of the Microchoerus What dating method could you use?
   3. Site 3: An earthquake recently affected your study area, which is located in a mountainous temperate forest. During a hike, you and a friend came across a cave that's been closed off by rocks, but the earthquake caused those rocks to shift. Inside the cave you find a hearth with charred wood in it and some cave paintings on the wall. You don't have access to radiocarbon dating currently. What other method can you use for dating the cave site you have uncovered?
   4. Site 4: During fieldwork you came across what appears to be either a late Australopithecine or early Homo skull on the eastern portion of Africa where there was significant volcanic activity in the past. Near the skull, stone tools were also recovered. What is the best method for dating when the skull and stone tools are from?
   5. Site 5: You're working on a dig in a hot and humid climate. Your team has found evidence of ancient (anatomically modern) humans at the site, such as flints and cherts, ceramic fragments, and even the crumbling remains of a few walls. Your budget is limited, but you'd really like to determine how old the settlement is. Unfortunately, you were not able to recover any organic material. What dating method could you use?
   6. Site 6: You're conducting fieldwork in Gibraltar. Near your site, ancient cave paintings have been discovered. There is some debate whether they belong to some of the last Neandertals or anatomically modern humans. During your excavation just a mile away, you uncover what appears to be a burial. There are remnants of a skull, teeth, a few ribs, and a femur. The individual also appears to be wearing jewelry made of seashells. You assume that the burial is less than 50,000 years old. What dating method could you use?
2. Write a discussion post about each site you chose. For each site include the following:
   1. The site you picked
   2. The dating method you would use to date the site. Is it a relative or chronometric dating method?
   3. An explanation supporting the dating method you chose
3. Respond to one of your classmates who chose a different site than you did. Do you support the dating method they chose? Why or why not? Your responses should be thoughtful, constructive, and should add something new to the conversation (examples).