radiocarbon dates from sites in the egiin gol valley, mongolia

Radiocarbon Dates from Sites in the Egiin Gol Valley, MongoliaAuthor(s): M. Hall, K. Yoshida, W. Honeychurch, C. Amraatuvshin, U. Erdenbat and M.SakamotoSource: East and West, Vol. 53, No. 1/4 (December 2003), pp. 273-284Published by: Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (IsIAO)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29757582 .

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Radiocarbon Dates from Sites in the Egiin Gol Valley, Mongolia

by M. Hall, K. Yoshida, W. Honeychurch, C. Amraatuvshin, U. Erdenbat and M. Sakamoto

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to present 13 radiocarbon (14C) determinations from several sites in the lower Egiin Gol river valley of northern Mongolia (Fig. 1) (!). Due to the possible construction of a hydroelectric dam in the valley, this area has been the scene of multi? national excavations and surveys since the mid-1990s (2).

One goal of the Mongolian-American Expedition to the Egiin Gol Valley has been the

development of an absolute chronology for northern Mongolia. Currently, the majority of

chronological schemes for Mongolian prehistory are based on typological similarities between Mongolian artifacts to those in China or western Siberia (Askarov et al. 1992; Linduff 2000; Martynov 1991; Watson 1971: 98-144). While this approach allows a

rudimentary chronology to be sketched out, there are numerous problems in assessing how

quickly an artifact style spread and stayed in use, and the direction of its spread (Deetz & Dethlefsen 1965). Another problem associated with constructing chronologies is that a

detailed pottery typology for northern Mongolia is lacking (3). One way of dealing with these

problems is through the radiocarbon dating of organic materials associated with the artifacts and sites.

Methodology

Sample preparation was done at the National Museum of Japanese History and the 14C

Dating Laboratory located at the University Museum, University of Tokyo. Rootlets and dirt were manually removed from the charcoal and wood samples, and then the samples were

washed in a series of HCl and NaOH baths to remove inorganic contaminants. The samples were converted to C02, and afterwards converted to graphite by iron catalysis.

(*) The sites mentioned in this paper are located in northern Mongolia at approximately 49.5?N,

103.5?E.

(2) Summary information on excavations, sites and surveys in this area can be found in Crubezy et

al 1996; Hall et al. 1999; Honeychurch & Amraatuvshin 2000. (3) The Russians have developed a fairly comprehensive Xiong-nu pottery typology for the Trans

Baikal region. See Minyaev 1998.

[1] 273



Fig. 1 - Map of the sites mentioned in the text. The small map of Mongolia has the research area

enclosed by a box. The site key is as follows: 1) Bayan Gol kheregsur complex; 2) Mutakhin Am

cemetery; 3) Bayan Gol station; 4) Burkhan Tolgoi settlement; 5) Belsgiin Monastery ruins; 6) Burged Khanan Uul; and 7) hillfort at Kholtost Khurem.

The 14C determinations were made at the Micro-Analysis Laboratory, Tandem (MALT) Accelerator facility at the University of Tokyo. All of the 14C determinations are based on the 5568 year half-life, and 12 of the 13 dates were corrected for carbon fractionation.

All calibrations and mathematical operations were done using the program OxCal, Version 3.6 (Bronk Ramsey 2000). OxCal is a Bayesian calibration program that allows one to take into account chronological data, historical information and stratigraphic relationships that can be used to refine the calibration (4). The program can also sum the probability distributions of calibrated 14C determinations to determine a floruit (5), or determine the

(4) More on the methodology and philosophy of Bayesian methods in radiocarbon dating can be found in Biasi & Weldon 1994; Bronk Ramsey 1999; Buck et al. 1991, 1995; Litton & Buck 1995: 12-18.

(5) Ottaway (1973) originally defined a floruit as the interquartile range of the sum of the calibrated radiocarbon dates. The OxCal program defines the floruit as the interval in the summed

probability distributions of the calibrated 14C determinations where 68.2% of all the events took place.

274 [2]



length of a phase. Details on the mathematics and algorithms used in the program can be found in publications by Bronk Ramsey (1995, 1999, 2000). The 1998 calibration curve of Stuiver and other (1998) was used for the calibration.

As noted by several authors (Bowman 1990: 51-54; Dean 1978: 226-31; Schiffer 1986) the calibration of radiocarbon determinations from charcoal and wood can be problematic. The 14C determination only reflects the calendrical time of the particular tree rings dated in the laboratory. Outer rings reflect when the tree was felled and not necessarily when it was

used. The inner rings will yield a date earlier than the felling of the tree, and not reflect when the wood was used. Assessing what the date represents is often difficult, and does not always reflect when the wood was used.

To guard against an 'old wood' bias, the majority of calibrated 14C determinations in this paper are offset by 50 ? 50 calendar years. The use of a 50 ? 50 calendar years offset is

supported by two factors. First, large parts of the Eurasian steppe have been dominated by grasses with birch (Betula), larch (Larix), pine (Pinus), and popular (Populus) (Khotinskii 1984; Sun & Chen 1991). Birches, larches, and populars seldom live for more than 100

years (Dallimore & Jackson 1948; Schweingruber 1993). Second, a review of the wood utilized in the construction of the large burial mounds of the Altai-Sayan region, showed that the timbers ranged in age from 41 to 162 years (Hall 1997). Other cases of authors

using offsets derived in similar fashion are Hall 1997, Manning & Weninger 1992 and Vogel et al. 1990.

14C Determinations of the Archaeological Materials

Figure 1 illustrates the site locations in the Egiin Gol valley. The 14C determinations for the sites are reported in a general east to west fashion.

Bayan Gol kheregsur Complex Kheregsurs are large stone mounds that are generally believed to have been constructed

in the Later Bronze Age, or Early Iron Age of Mongolia (Askarov et al. 1992; Kato 1985;

Novgorodova 1989; Volkov 1995). Previous excavations in Mongolia suggest that these structures were used as both tombs and ceremonial structures.

The Bayan Gol kheregsur complex consists of at least eight kheregsurs, a deer stone, and numerous smaller stone monuments near the Bayan Gol river. Cattle remains found beneath the feature excavated in 1996 were 14C dated to A.D. 630-820 (2o range) (Hall et al. 1999).

Systematic shovel testing was done around the complex of monuments during the 1998 field season. In one of the units near the deerstone, a pit containing chunks of charcoal and plain

ware shards was revealed.

The 14C determination from the charcoal in the pit is listed in Table 1. No constraints were place on the calibration (6). The lo calibrated date range is A.D. 730-940. The 2o calibrated date range is A.D. 650-1040.

(6) Where relevant, the mathematical models and OxCal code for the calibrations are listed in the

Appendix.

[3] 275



Table 1 - Radiocarbon determinations, ? 13C, and

calibrated

date ranges for the samples reported in this paper

Site

Lab number

14C determination

?13C

1 a range

Probability

2 a range

Bayan

Gol kheregsur complex

Tka-11739

1250 ? 80

-24.8%

A.D. 730-940

1.00

A.D.

650-1040

Mutakhin Am, Burial EGS 7N

Tka-11741

580 ? 70

-27.6%o

A.D. 1300-1370

A.D. 1380-1420

0.70 0.30

A.D.

1280-1440

Bayan Gol Station

test trench,

depth 5-10 cm

Tka-11740

820 ? 60

-25.2%o

A.D. 1220-1350

1.00

A.D.

1150-1410

Bayan Gol Station

test trench, depth 5-10 cm

Tka-11751

870 ? 60

-24.0%

A.D. 1190-1330

1.00

A.D.

1120-1380

Bayan Gol Station

test trench, depth 30-40 cm

Tka-11753

840 ? 60

-25.5%o

A.D. 1080-1240

1.00

A.D.

1020-1290

Bayan Gol Station

test trench,

depth 30-40 cm

Tka-11754

980

? 80

-24.2%

A.D. 1020-1200

1.00

A.D.

910-1260

Burkhan Tolgoi settlement

Tka-11744

1630 ?80

-25.1%

A.D.

370-600

1.00

A.D.

250-690

Belsgiin Monastery

Tka-11742

100 ? 60

-24.5

A.D. 1770-1940

1.00

A.D.

1680-1940

Burged Khanan Uul

Tka-11757

1600 + 110

-26.7%

A.D. 380-650

1.00

A.D.

200-750

Burged Khanan Uul

Tka-11746

1660 ? 110

-25.9%

A.D. 300-580

1.00

A.D.

150-700

Hillfort at Kholtost Khurem, depth 143 cm

Tka-00735

1750 ? 80

-25.6%

A.D. 220-450

1.00

A.D.

110-550

Hillfort at Kholtost Khurem, depth 132 cm

Tka-11758

1990 ? 190

190

B.C.-A.D.

300

1.00

400 B.C.-A.D.

550

Hillfort at Kholtost

Khurem,

depth 133.5 cm

Tka-11733

2060 ? 90

-24.7%

B.C.

150-A.D.

110

1.00

350 B.C.-A.D.

200



Fig. 2 - Drawing and photograph of the small pot from Mukhtagiin Am, burial EGS 7N. The scale in

the drawing is 1 cm per division.

Mukhtagiin Am

Mukhtagiin Am is a cemetery consisting of small, low mounds in the drainage of the

Bayan Gol river. The dating of wooden coffin fragments from earlier excavations point to the

cemetery having been in use from the 11th through 16th centuries A.D. (Hall et al. 1999). Excavations continued here during the 1998 field season. Despite having been robbed in

antiquity, burial EGS 7N contained the remains of a birch bark coffin, a child's skeleton and a small pot. The pot is illustrated in Fig. 2.

Table 1 lists the 14C determination, 8 13C, and calibrated date ranges for EGS 7N. No constraints were placed on the calibration, and an offset was not used since the birch bark itself was dated. The calibrated 14C determination places the burial to the time of the

Mongol Empire.

Bayan Gol Station A large, dense shard scatter covering approximately 100 m by 40 m was found on a low

terrace above the Bayan Gol river. A 1 m x 1 m test pit was excavated in the densest part of the shard scatter. The shards recovered from the excavation consist of both plain and glazed

wares.

A total of four charcoal samples were dated from this test unit. Two samples were from a

single stratigraphic layer at depth of 5-10 cm, while two were from a single stratigraphic layer at a depth of 30-40 cm. Table 1 contains the isotopic data for each sample.

Calibration was done assuming each set of samples came from a separate archaeological phase, and the samples from a depth of 5-10 cm post-dated the samples from a depth of 30

[5] 277



40 cm. The resulting calibrated dates are also listed in Table 1. The materials from the lower

stratigraphic level of the Bayan Gol Station trench date to some time between the 10th

through 13th centuries A.D., while the materials in the upper stratigraphic layer date to some

time between the 12th through 15th centuries A.D.

Burkhan Tolgoi Settlement The Burkhan Tolgoi site complex consists of a settlement or encampment site on the

flood plain near the Egiin Gol river, and a cemetery situated on the terrace above (7). The

settlement was not visible from the surface, but was uncovered in the course of routine

shovel testing. Numerous shards, typical of those found at Xiong-nu period (c. 200 B.C.-A.D.

150) sites (8), and charcoal samples were recovered in limited test excavations of the site.

The 14C determination from charcoal recovered in the excavation of the encampment/ settlement site is listed in Table 1. No constraints were placed on the calibration. Calibrated date ranges at la: A.D. 370-600. Calibrated date ranges at 2a: A.D. 250-690.

Belsgiin Monastery While the practice of Buddhism was allowed in the Mongol Empire during the 13 th

century, numerous Buddhist monasteries were built from the late 17th through 19th centuries in Mongolia (Barfield 1989: 267-94). The Belsgiin monastery complex in the Egiin

Gol valley is believed to date to this time. Mongol forces destroyed the monastery in 1938.

Today, the site consists of a variety of canals, carved stones, dams, earthworks and

foundations. Test pits in some of the foundations, exposed plain earthenware ceramics and numerous large fragments of charcoal.

The 14C determination from charcoal recovered from inside the ruins of a structure at

the Belsgiin monastery is reported in Table 1. The 14C determination was calibrated

assuming it pre-dates 1935. Calibrated date range at la: A.D. 1770-1940. At 2a, the

calibrated date range is: A.D. 1680-1940.

Burged Khanan Uul

Shovel-testing in the area around the kheregsurs near the base of Burged Khanan Uul

revealed sub-surface pottery deposits. The shards recovered from the excavation are typical of those dating to the Xiong-nu period. Charcoal was discovered in association with the sherds.

Table 1 lists the 14C determinations and their calibrations from two charcoal samples found in association with the shards. The floruit dates to A.D. 330 to A.D. 620 (Fig. 3).

Hillfort at Kholtost Khurem On a ridge over-looking the river at Kholtost Khurem, there is a rectangular-shaped

complex consisting of low banks and ditches enclosing over 20,000 square meters. While not

(7) Limited information on the cemetery can be found in Crubezy et al. 1996; Hall et al. 1999; Murail et al. 2000.

(8) Some of the characteristics of Xiong-nu ceramics are scrape and polish decoration, thong

wrapped paddling, the wave design on the upper shoulder of pots, and everted rims. There is evidence

for the use of a slow wheel in their manufacture.

278 [6]



Atmospheric data from Stuiver et al. (1998); OxCal v3.6 Bronk Ramsey (2000); cub r:5 sd:12 prob usp[chron]

0.8

0.6 -

0.4 -

0.2

0.0

Sum EK 68.2% probability 330AD (68.2%) 620AD

95.4% probability 150AD (95.4%) 750AD

_L _L _L 500BC BC/AD 500AD

Calendar date

1000AD

Fig. 3 - Summed probability distributions for the 2 dates from Burged Khanan Uul. The floruit is the

68.2% probability distribution.

very impressive from the ground, these enclosures are visible in aerial photographs of the

valley (Fig. 4). Test trenches were dug in the outer ditch and the enclosed area during the 1998 field

season. Table 1 lists the 14C determinations from charcoal recovered in the lower levels of the test trench cut into the outer ditch. The floruit for this site is from 150 B.C. to A.D. 450 (see

Kg. 5).

Discussion

The radiocarbon determinations presented here and earlier, are first steps towards

building an absolute chronology for northern Mongolia. The dates presented here provide evidence for the human use of the valley during the time of the Xiong-nu confederacy onwards.

The oldest 14C determination reported in this paper comes from the hillfort at Kholtost Khurem. With a floruit from 150 B.C. to A.D. 450, these three 14C determinations point to

[7] 279



Fig. 4 - Aerial photograph of the hillfort at Kholtost Khurem, scale 1:25,000. The hillfort is enclosed by

in the box marked H. R marks the Egiin Gol river.

the hillfort being in use during the Xiong-nu confederacy and into the era when the Xianbei and Juan-Juan controlled northern Mongolia (Barfield 1989: 105-27; Christian 1998: 234-38; Kyzlasov 1996).

The calibrated 14C determinations from the Burkhan Tolgoi settlement and Burged Khanan Uul raise some interesting questions. Both sites yielded ceramics that are typically found at Xiong-nu period sites in Northeast Asia. In the case of the Burkhan Tolgoi settlement, the settlement was believed to be contemporary with the Burkhan Tolgoi cemetery. The Burkhan Tolgoi cemetery is dated to the Xiong-nu period on the basis of the

previous 14C determinations and the Chinese artifacts found in some of the burials (Hall et al. 1999).

For the two 14C determinations from these sites though, the calibrated date ranges post? date the Xiong-nu confederacy and fall into the time periods when the Hsien-pei and Juan Juan controlled Mongolia. These 14C determinations can be interpreted in one of two ways. First, it is possible that the charcoal is not associated with the deposition of the pottery. Forest fires frequently occur in the Egiin Gol valley, and the charcoal could actually be from

past forest fires. A second explanation is that these determinations could be associated with the pottery and actually reflects when the sites were used. While the Chinese historical annals

give the names of various ethnic groups residing in Mongolia after the Xiong-nu, archaeologists are uncertain about the material culture of many of them (Kyzlasov 1996). It is

possible that the Hsien-pei and Juan-Juan had similar styles of pottery to that of the Xiong nu. Further excavation and 14C determinations can hopefully resolve this issue.

280 [8]



Atmospheric data from Stuiver et al. (1998); OxCal v3.6 Bronk Ramsey (2000); cub r:5 sd:12 prob usp[chron]

Sum Hillfort 68.2% probability 150BC (68.2%) 450AD

95.4% probability 350BC (95.4%) 550AD

I i 1 i i i i 1 i i i i 1 i i i i 1 i i i i I i i i i I i i i i ll

1500BC 1000BC 500BC BC/AD 500AD 1000AD 1500/

Calendar date

Fig. 5 - Summed probability distribution for the dates from the hillfort at Kholtost Khurem. The floruit

dates from 150 BC to A.D. 450.

The calibrated 14C determinations indicate that the kheregsurs at Bayan Gol were still an

active part of the cultural landscape in the later half of the 1st millennium A.D. Like their

megalithic counterparts in the British Isles (Barret 1994), these monuments were used and modified by successive generations residing in the Egiin Gol valley. The 14C determination dates to the Turkic or Uighir period.

The pottery deposit at the Bayan Gol Station and the burial at Mukhtagiin Am reflect use of the valley during the medieval period. The lower stratigraphic level at the Bayan Gol station site dates to a time period when there a variety of ethnic groups were vying for control of the Mongolian plateau (Barfield 1989: 164-202; Okada 1985). The upper

stratigraphic layer at Bayan Gol station site dates to the time of the Mongol Empire and the Yuan dynasty.

The 14C determination from Belsgiin monastery confirms the use of the site between the late 17th or 18th centuries A.D. to the first half of the 20th century A.D. The presence of

plain, reddish-brown earthenwares at this site raises serious questions as to the use of these undecorated wares as chronological markers. Similar types of plain earthenware have been found in other sites in the Egiin Gol valley yielding micro-blade assemblages.

[9] 281



Conclusions

The 14C determinations presented here are only a beginning towards refining the

chronological and typological schemes for northern Mongolia. More dating of new samples from other excavation units is needed; while additional determinations from many of the sites mentioned here are also warranted. Work continues with the ceramic shards recovered

during excavation; in time, a pottery typology will be constructed that is tied to absolute dates. Once this is done, the nature of interaction between the steppe cultures and China can

be better assessed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Financial support for this project was provided by a 1998 Wenner-Gren Collaborative Research Grant (# ICRG 20). Thanks are in order to the Ministry of Enlightenment of Mongolia and the Institute of History, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, for allowing the samples to be exported from

Mongolia.

APPENDIX

This section contains the mathematical models and OxCal commands for the calibrations of the 14C

determinations. For all dates but Tka-11741, let 0X be the probability distribution for the calendar dates of the calibrated 14C determination of sample x, and Ax the calendar years to offset 0X. The offset

calibrated date is then defined as:

0X' =

0X + Ax.

For the Bayan Gol Station radiocarbon determinations, the Bayesian model is:

?Tka-11753, ?Tka-11754 > ?Tka-11751," ?Tka-11740 ?

This could be read as: 'Samples Tka-11753 and Tka-11754 are older than samples Tka-11751 and Tka 11740. Samples Tka-11753 and Tka-11754 belong to the same phase. Samples Tka-11751 and Tka 11740 belong to the same phase'. The OxCal code to implement this Bayesian calibration is as follows:

SEQUENCE "EG-BS"! {Phase "Lower"{R_Date "Tka-11754" 980 80; offset 50 50;

R_Date "Tka-11753" 840 60; offset 50 50;}; Phase "Upper" {RJDate "Tka-11751" 870 60; offset 50 50; R_Date "Tka-11740" 820 60; offset 50 50;); };

For the Belsgiin Monastery, the Bayesian model can be written:

eTka-?742'>AD 1935.

The OxCal code to implement this Bayesian calibration is as follows:

282 [10]



Sequence

(R_Date "11742" 100 60; offset 50 50; TAQ "destruction" {C_DATE "1935" 1935;}; };

The OxCal code to implement the calculation of the floruit for Ement Khoshuu is:

SUM "EK" {R_Date "TKa-11746" 1660 110; offset 50 50;

R_Date "TKa-11757" 1600 110; offset 50 50; };

The OxCal code to implement the calculation of the floruit for the hillfort is:

Sum "Hillfort" {R_Date "TKa-00735" 1750 80; offset 50 50;

R_Date "TKa-11758" 1990 190; offset 50 50; R_Date "TKa-11733" 2060 90; offset 50 50; };

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