Charcoal reflectance measurements: Implications for structural characterization and assessment of diagenetic alteration

Journal of Archaeological Science

Volumn 37, Issue 7, 2010, Pages 1590-1599

  Ascough, Philippa L ^a   Bird, Michael I ^b   Scott, Andrew C ^c   Collinson, Margaret E ^c   Cohen Ofri, Illit ^d   Snape, Colin E ^e   Le Manquais, Katherine ^e  

^a SCOTTISH UNIVERSITIES ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTRE   (United Kingdom)

^b JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

^c UNIVERSITY OF LONDON   (United Kingdom)

^d WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE   (Israel)

^e UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Black carbon; Charcoal; Diagenesis; Oxidative degradation; Reflectance

Indexed keywords

BLACK CARBON; CHARCOAL; DEGRADATION; DIAGENESIS; OXIDATION; REFLECTANCE;

EID: 77952543191     PISSN: 03054403     EISSN: 10959238     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2010.01.020     Document Type: Article

References (68)

1. Alloway B.V., Pribadi A., Westgate J.A., Bird M., Fifield L.K., Hogg A., Smith I. Correspondence between glass-FT and AMS 14C ages of silicic pyroclastic density current (PDC) deposits sourced from Maninjau caldera, west-central Sumatra. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 2004, 227:121-133.
2. Antal M.J., Gronli M.G. The art, science, and technology of charcoal production. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2003, 42:1619-1646.
3. Ascough P.L., Bird M.I., Brock F., Higham T.F.G., Meredith W., Snape C., Vane C.H. Hydropyrolysis as a new tool for radiocarbon pretreatment and the quantification of black carbon. Quaternary Geochronology 2008, 4(2):140-147.
4. Ascough P., Bird M.I., Wormald P., Snape C.E., Apperley D. Influence of pyrolysis variables and starting material on charcoal stable isotopic and molecular characteristics. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 2008, 72:6090-6102.
5. Baldock J.A., Smernik R.J. Chemical composition and bioavailability of thermally altered Pinus resinosa (Red pine) wood. Organic Geochemistry 2002, 33:1093-1109.
6. Bird M.I. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal. The Encyclopaedia of Quaternary Science 2006, 2950-2957. Elsevier, Amsterdam. S.A. Elias (Ed.).
7. Bird M.I., Gröcke D.R. Determination of the abundance and carbon isotope composition of elemental carbon in sediments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 1997, 61:3413-3423.
8. Bird M.I., Moyo E., Veenendaal E., Lloyd J.J., Frost P. Stability of elemental carbon in a savanna soil. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 1999, 13:923-932.
9. Bird M.I., Turney C.S.M., Fifield L.K., Jones R., Ayliffe L.K., Palmer A., Cresswell R.G., Robertson S. Radiocarbon analysis of the early archaeological site of Nauwalabila 1, Arnhem Land, Australia: implications for sample suitability and stratigraphic integrity. Quaternary Science Reviews 2002, 21:1061-1075.
10. Boehm H., Setton R., Stumpp E. Nomenclature and terminology of graphite intercalation compounds (IUPAC Recommendations 1994). Pure and Applied Chemistry 1994, 66:1893.
11. Braadbaart F., Poole I. Morphological, chemical and physical changes during charcoalification of wood and its relevance to archaeological contexts. Journal of Archaeological Science 2008, 35:2434-2445.
12. Church M.J., Dugmore A.J., Mairs K.-A., Millard A., Cook G.T., Sveinbjarnardóttir G., Ascough P.A., Newton A.J., Roucoux K. Charcoal production during the Norse and early medieval periods in Eyjafjallahreppur, Southern Iceland. Radiocarbon 2007, 49:659-672.
13. Cohen-Ofri I., Weiner L., Boaretto E., Mintz G., Weiner S. Modern and fossil charcoal: aspects of structure and diagenesis. Journal of Archaeological Science 2006, 33:428-439.
14. Collinson M.E., Featherstone C., Cripps J.A., Nichols G.J., Scott A.C. Charcoal-rich plant debris accumulations in the lower cretaceous of the Isle of Wight, England. Acta Palaeobotanica 2000, 164:93-105.
15. Cruz J.V., Antunes P., Amaral C., Franca Z., Nunes J.C. Volcanic lakes of the Azores archipelago (Portugal): geological setting and geochemical characterization. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 2006, 156:135-157.
16. Darmstadt H., Pantea D., Summchen L., Roland U., Kaliaguine S., Roy C. Surface and bulk chemistry of charcoal obtained by vacuum pyrolysis of bark: influence of feedstock moisture content. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2000, 53:1-17.
17. Dresselhaus M.S., Pimenta M.A., Ekiund P.C., Dresselhaus G. Raman scattering in Fullerenes and related carbon-based materials. Raman Scattering in Materials Science 2000, Springer. W.H. Weber, R. Merlin (Eds.).
18. Eckmeier E., Gerlach R., Skjemstad J.O., Ehrmann O., Schmidt M.W.I. Only small changes in soil organic carbon and charcoal found one year after experimental slash-and-burn in a temperate deciduous forest. Biogeosciences Discuss 2007, 4:595-614.
19. Fey G.T.K., Kao Y.C. Synthesis and characterization of pyrolyzed sugar carbons under nitrogen or argon atmospheres as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Materials Chemistry and Physics 2002, 73:37-46.
20. Fung A.W.P., Rao A.M., Kuriyama K., Dresselhaus M.S., Dresselhaus G., Endo M., Shindo N. Raman-scattering and electrical conductivity in highly disordered activated carbon-fibers. Journal of Materials Research 1993, 8:489-500.
21. Gouveia S.E.M., Pessenda L.C.R., Aravena R., Boulet R., Scheel-Ybert R., Bendassoli J.A., Ribeiro A.S., Freitas H.A. Carbon isotopes in charcoal and soils in studies of paleovegetation and climate changes during the late Pleistocene and the Holocene in the southeast and centerwest regions of Brazil. Global and Platetary Change 2002, 33:95-106.
22. Guo Y., Bustin R.M. FTIR spectroscopy and reflectance of modern charcoals and fungal decayed woods: implications for studies of inertinite in coals. International Journal of Coal Geology 1998, 37:29-53.
23. Hall G., Woodborne S., Scholes M. Stable carbon isotope ratios from archaeological charcoal as palaeoenvironmental indicators. Chemical Geology 2008, 247:384-400.
24. Hallier M., Petit L.P. Tertres d'occupation et d'autre formes d'habitation à l'âge de Fer: rapport préliminaire de la campagne archéologique en été 2000 au nord du Burkina Faso. Nyame Akuma 2000, 54:2-5.
25. Hallier M., Petit L.P. Fouille d'une maison de l'Age du Fer dans le nord du Burkina Faso. Nyame Akuma 2001, 56:2-3.
26. Hockaday W.C., Grannas A.M., Kim S., Hatcher P.G. The transformation and mobility of charcoal in a fire-impacted watershed. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 2007, 71:3432-3445.
27. Höhn, A., 2005. Zur eisenzeitlichen Entwicklung der Kulturlandschaft im Sahel von Burkina Faso. Untersuchungen von archäologischen Holzkohlen. Unpublished PhD thesis, Universität in Frankfurt am Main.
28. Hudspith V., Scott A.C., Wilson C.J.N., Collinson M.E. The preservation by plants by volcanic processes: an example from the Taupo Ignimbrite, New Zealand. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 2010, 10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.06.036.
29. Jones T., Scott A.C., Cope M. Reflectance measurements against temperature of formation for modern charcoals and their implications for the study of fusain. Bulletin of the Geological Society of France 1991, 162:193-200.
30. Kim N.H., Hanna R.B. Morphological characteristics of Quercas variabilis charcoal prepared at different temperatures. Wood Science and Technology 2006, 40:392.
31. Knight D.S., White W.B. Characterization of diamond films by Raman-spectroscopy. Journal of Materials Research 1989, 4:385-393.
32. Levine J.S. Global Biomass Burning: Atmospheric, Climatic, and Biospheric Implications 1991, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
33. Liang B., Lehmann J., Solomon D., Sohi S., Thies J.E., Skjemstad J.O., Luizao F.J., Engelhard M.H., Neves E.G., Wirick S. Stability of biomass-derived black carbon in soils. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 2008, 72:6069-6078.
34. Livingstone-Smith A. Bonfire II: the return of pottery firing temperature. Journal of Archaeological Science 2001, 28:991-1003.
35. Maitland J. Organic Chemistry 2005, W.W. Norton, New York.
36. McParland L., Collinson M.E., Scott A.C., Steart D. Ferns and fires: experimental charring of ferns compared to wood and implications for paleobiology, coal petrology and isotope geochemistry. PALAIOS 2007, 22:528-538.
37. McParland L.C., Hazell Z., Campbell G., Collinson M.E., Scott A.C. How the Romans got themselves into hot water: temperatures and fuel types used in firing a hypocaust. Environmental Archaeology 2009, 14:176-183.
38. McParland L.C., Scott A.C., Collinson M.E., Campbell G. The use of reflectance values for the interpretation of natural and anthropogenic charcoal assemblages. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 2009, 1:249-261.
39. Moore J. Forest fire and human interaction in the early holocene woodlands of Britain. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 2000, 164:125-137.
40. Nguyen T.H., Brown R.A., Ball W.P. An evaluation of thermal resistance as a measure of black carbon content in diesel soot, wood char, and sediment. Organic Geochemistry 2004, 35:217-234.
41. Nishimiya K., Hata T., Imamura Y., Ishihara S. Analysis of chemical structure of wood charcoal by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Journal of Wood Science 1998, 44:56-61.
42. Pastorova I., Botto R.E., Arisz P.W., Boon J.J. Cellulose char structure: a combined analytical Py-GC-MS, FTIR, and NMR study. Carbohydrate Research 1994, 262:27-47.
43. Pessenda L.C.R., Aravena R., Melfi A.J., Telles E.C.C., Boulet R., Valencia E.P.E., Tomazello M. The use of carbon isotopes (C-13, C-14) in soil to evaluate vegetation changes during the Holocene in central Brazil. Radiocarbon 1996, 38:191-201.
44. Preston C.M., Schmidt M.W.I. Black (pyrogenic) carbon: a synthesis of current knowledge and uncertainties with special consideration of boreal regions. Biogeoscience 2006, 3:397-420.
45. Scott A.C. Observations on the nature and origin of fusain. International Journal of Coal Geology 1989, 12:443-475.
46. Scott A.C. The pre-quaternary history of fire. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 2000, 164:281-329.
47. Scott A.C. Forest fire in the fossil record. Fire Effects on Soils and Restoration Strategies 2009, 1-37. Science Publishers Inc., New Hampshire. A. Cerdà, P. Robichaud (Eds.).
48. Scott A.C. Charcoal recognition, taphonomy and uses in palaeoenvironmental analysis. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 2010, in press, doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.12.012.
49. Scott A.C., Glasspool I.J. Charcoal reflectance as a proxy for the emplacement temperature of pyroclastic flow deposits. Geology 2005, 33:589-592.
50. Scott A.C., Glasspool I.J. Observations and experiments on the origin and formation of inertinite group macerals. International Journal of Coal Geology 2007, 70:55-66.
51. Scott A.C., Jones T.P. Microscopical observations of recent and fossil charcoal. Microscopy and Analysis 1991, 24:13-15.
52. Scott A.C., Jones T.J. The nature and influence of fires in Carboniferous ecosystems. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 1994, 106:91-112.
53. Schmidt M.W.I., Skjemstad J.O., Czimczik C.I., Glaser B., Prentice K.M., Gelinas Y., Kuhlbusch T.A.J. Comparative analysis of black carbon in soils. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 2001, 15:163-167.
54. Sima-Ella E., Yuan G., Mays T. A simple kinetic analysis to determine the intrinsic reactivity of coal char. Fuel 2005, 84:1920-1925.
55. Stach E., Mackowsky M.-Th., Teichmüller M., Taylor G.H., Chandra D., Teichmüller R. Stach's Textbook of Coal Petrology 1982, Gebrüder Borntraeger, Berlin-Stuttgart.
56. Steelman K.L., Rickman R., Rowe M.W., Boutton T.W., Russ J., Guidon N. Accelerator mass spectrometric radiocarbon ages of an oxalate accretion and rock paintings at Toca do Serrote da Bastiana, Brazil. Archaeological Chemistry VI: Materials, Methods, and Meaning, #831 2002, 22-35. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC. K.A. Jakes (Ed.).
57. Stinson K.J., Wright H.A. Temperatures of headfires in the southern mixed Prairie of Texas. Journal of Range Management 1969, 22:169-174.
58. Stronach N.R.H., McNaughton S.J. Grassland fire dynamics in the serengeti ecosystem, and a potential method of retrospectively estimating fire energy. Journal of Applied Ecology 1989, 26:1025-1033.
59. Swift L.W., Elliott K.J., Ottmar R.D., Vihnanek R.E. Site preparation burning to improve southern Appalachian pine-hardwood stands: fire characteristics and soil erosion, moisture, and temperature. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 1993, 23:2242-2254.
60. Trompowsky P.M., Benites V.M., Madari B.E., Pimenta A.S., Hockaday W.C., Hatcher P.G. Characterization of humic like substances obtained by chemical oxidation of eucalyptus charcoal. Organic Geochemistry 2005, 36:1480-1489.
61. Tuinstra F., Koenig J.L. Characterization of graphite fiber surfaces with Raman spectroscopy. Journal of Chemical Physics 1969, 53:1126-1130.
62. Tuinstra F., Koenig J.L. Raman spectrum of graphite. Journal of Chemical Physics 1970, 53:1126.
63. Turney C.S.M., Wheeler D., Chivas A.R. Carbon isotope fractionation in wood during carbonization. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 2006, 70:960-964.
64. Van Krevelen D. Graphical-statistical method for the study of structure and reaction process of coal. Fuel 1950, 29:269-284.
65. Walker P.L., Rusinko F., Austin L.G. Advances in Catalysis, 11 1959, 164. Academic Press, New York. D.D. Eley, P.W. Selwood, P.B. Weisz (Eds.).
66. Werts S.P., Jahren A.H. Estimation of temperatures beneath archaeological campfires using stable isotopic composition of soil organic matter. Journal of Archaeological Science 2007, 34:850-857.
67. Williams P.T., Besler S. The influence of temperature and heating rate on the slow pyrolysis of biomass. Renewable Energy 1996, 7:233-250.
68. Wolbach W.S., Anders E. Elemental carbon in sediments: determination and spectroscopic analysis in the presence of kerogen. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 1989, 53:1637-1647.