CARD

Lab number: S-17c
Material dated: charcoal; charbon de bois

Locality: Marpole district, southern limits of Vancouver, Fraser delta, British Columbia
Map sheet: 92 G/03

Submitter: Charles E. Borden
Date uploaded: February 14, 2020
Collector: Charles E. Borden
Date collected: July 1, 1954

Normalized Age: 2350 ± 60
δ¹³C (per mil): -25.0

Significance: Marpole
Context: lowermost 25 cm of shell midden, 140-165 cm depth

Additional information: These dates have caused much confusion in the literature. Borden sent samples to K.J. McCallum at the University of Saskatchewan lab in 1954. McCallum ran two tests on the same piece of charcoal using the solid carbon counter method (S-17a[1] and S-17a[2] – with results of 1880+/-180 and 2015 +/- 166 BP respectively) these were averaged to 1950+/-125 BP, the result commonly associated with S-17a. McCallum also generated a third date using the same method (S-17bis – possible a transcription error of “b is”, i.e. S-17b). This generated an age of 2900+/-170 BP. Borden rejected this date as erroneous. Correspondence from McCallum on this subject indicates that he found no reason to reject this age. Borden requested an additional assay using the gas counting method. This sample (S-17c) produced a result of 2350+/- 60. Note that all four dates are from the same piece of charcoal.
Comments: DhRs-1, Marpole: This site has also been known as the Great Fraser Midden and the Vancouver shell midden. It is the type site of the Marpole culture, representing a climax in the cultural development of the Fraser delta. Borden refers to another date of 2900 +/- 170 BP, which is now presumed to be erroneous (McCallum and Dyck, 1960: 77). The date of S-93, which appears reasonable when considered in terms of the overall cultural development of the region, was taken from the western extremity of the site, while deeper and presumably older portions of the site lay farther east.

Canada / BC / DhRs-1 (Marpole/c̓əsnaʔəm) / S-17c

References