Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Nispashuck update

From the Newport Daily News, via Larry H.

5 comments :

Anonymous said...

So who got the bones dated?

Anonymous said...

No One:
The article is also incorrect, the bones were sent out to be tested, the charcoal from the site was carbon tested and the dates were set between 490-700 BP, thus, the story stays alive. The truth be known, ths story has caused myself and the conservation commission a great deal of trouble.
Dr. Meli.

Anonymous said...

What is the association between the charcoal and the bones? Was the charcoal from a ritual feature associated with the burial? Or, was this a cremation burial? Or, something else ...

Second question - the 490-700 BP date range, is this calibrated or uncalibrated?

James Gage
www.StoneStructures.org

Anonymous said...

Another question is: with the site where the charcoal and bones were collected so disturbed ("over 10 meteres"), how do we know all of the carbon samples came from under one rock pile?

Anonymous said...

How does one explain the preservation of the bones? Usually the soils in New England are so acidic that bones are not preserved -- unless the soils in N. Smithfield are more basic, meaning that carbonates are present thus neutralizing the acidity.

Norman