EXAMINATION AND AMS RADIOCARBON DATING OF SAMPLES FROM THE 7 LAGOS PROJECT, VALDIVIA, CHILE

A total of eight samples from geologic trenches at the 7 Lagos Project in Valdivia, Chile, were examined to recover organic fragments suitable for radiocarbon dating. Botanic components and detrital charcoal were identified, and potentially radiocarbon datable material was separated. Two samples appeared to contain charred material in sufficient quantities for dating; however, the charred material did not survive the chemical pre-treatment for dating. Half of the sediment retained during flotation of these two samples was processed to recover possible microscopic charcoal or particulate soil organics for dating, while the other half of the sediment was processed to recover humates (soil organic compounds). Recovery of microscopic charcoal also was attempted on two different samples containing a small amount of sediment. No microcharcoal or particulate soil organics were present in any of the four samples that received this processing. Humates (soil organic compounds) were present in the two samples, and two AMS radiocarbon dates were obtained.