Lucio Calcagnile

Persistence of Pristine Deep-Sea Coral Gardens in the Mediterranean Sea (SW Sardinia)

Leiopathes glaberrima is a tall arborescent black coral species structuring important facies of the deep-sea rocky bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea that are severely stifled by fishing activities. At present, however, no morphological in vivo description, ecological characterization, age dating and evaluation of the possible conservation actions have ever been made for any population of this species in the basin. A dense coral population was reported during two Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) surveys conducted on a rocky bank off the SW coasts of Sardinia (Western Mediterranean Sea). L. glaberrima forms up to 2 m-tall colonies with a maximal observed basal diameter of nearly 7 cm. The radiocarbon dating carried out on a colony from this site with a 4 cm basal diameter revealed an approximately age of 2000 years. Considering the size-frequency distribution of the colonies in the area it is possible to hypothesize the existence of other millennial specimens occupying a supposedly very stable ecosystem. The persistence of this ecosystem is likely guaranteed by the heterogeneous rocky substrate hosting the black coral population that represents a physical barrier against the mechanical impacts acted on the surrounding muddy areas, heavily exploited as trawling fishing grounds. This favorable condition, together with the existence of a nursery area for catsharks within the coral ramifications and the occurrence of a meadow of the now rare soft bottom alcyonacean Isidella elongata in small surviving muddy enclaves, indicates that this ecosystem have to be considered a pristine Mediterranean deep-sea coral sanctuary that would deserve special protection.

Evaluation of Possible Contamination Sources in the 14C Analysis of Bone Samples by FTIR Spectroscopy

In the sample preparation laboratory of CEDAD (CEnter for DAting and Diagnostics) of the University of Lecce, a protocol for the quality control of bone samples based on infrared spectroscopy has been set up. The protocol has been recently developed as a check-in test with the aim to identify the presence of collagen in the samples, assess its preservation status, and determine whether the submitted bone samples are suitable for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon measurements or not. We discuss in this paper the use of infrared-based techniques to identify the presence of contaminants such as restoration and consolidation materials, humic acids, and soil carbonates, which, if not removed by the sample processing chemistry, can be sources of exogenous carbon and can thus influence the accuracy of the 14C determinations. Bone samples recovered in well-defined and previously dated archaeological contexts were intentionally contaminated, submitted to the standard method for collagen extraction and purification, and then characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses performed in attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode before being combusted, converted to graphite, and measured by AMS. The study shows that the ATR-FTIR technique is an extremely powerful method for the identification of both the collagen and its contaminants and can supply important information during the selection and processing of samples to be submitted for 14C dating.

New bomb pulse radiocarbon records from annual tree rings in the northern hemisphere temperate region

The bomb radiocarbon spike induced by atmospheric nuclear detonations has been reconstructed at a latitude of 40N by measuring the 14C content in annual rings of a living pine (Pinus pinea) at the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry facility of the University of Lecce. We report how the samples were taken, selected, prepared for analysis, and measured. The results are in good agreement with other data sets available for the Northern Hemisphere temperate regions, showing that a curve for the calibration of 14C dates, valid for the whole Northern Hemisphere, can be established for the second half of the 20th century.

Radiocarbon Age Anomalies in Pre- and Post-Bomb Land Snails from the Coastal Mediterranean Basin

The shell carbonate of pre- and post-bomb samples of 2 species of terrestrial gastropods (Theba pisana and Cernuella virgata) sampled along the coast of Apulia, southern Italy, were dated using accelerator mass spectrometry and carbon stable isotopes were analyzed. The analyses show, for both species, significant anomalies in the radiocarbon age due to the possible presence of a 14C-depleted source of carbon in the formation of the shell aragonite. The magnitude of the age anomaly was quantified in the studied area to ~1000 14C yr.

Performance test of a new graphite target production facility in ATOMKI

We present our new graphite target production system, developed in the Institute of Nuclear Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (ATOMKI), for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating measurements. The system consists of a gas handling line and a graphite target production system. Results of AMS measurements, stable isotope mass spectrometry measurements, and gravimetric/pressure yield determinations have been used to find the proper conditions for the graphitization process. We have also investigated the C-14 contamination and the memory effect of the system during the graphitization processes. This paper covers the details of these experiments and a discussion of the results.

Ge laser-generated plasma for ion implantation

Laser-generated plasma obtained by Ge ablation in vacuum was investigated with the aim to implant energetic Ge ions in light substrates (C, Si, SiO2). Different intensities of laser sources were employed for these experiments: Nd:Yag of Catania-LNS; Nd:Yag of Warsaw–IPPL; excimer laser of Lecce-INFN; iodine laser of Prague-PALS. Different experimental setups were used to generate multiple ion stream emissions, multiple ion energetic distributions, high implantation doses, thin film deposition and post-acceleration effects. ‘On line’ measurements of ion energy were obtained with ion collectors and ion energy analyzer in time-of-flight configuration. ‘Off line’ measurement of Ge implants were obtained with 2.25 MeV helium beam in Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Results indicated that ion implants show typical deep profiles only for substrates placed along the normal to the target surface at which the ion energy is maximum.

Determining 14C Content in Different Human Tissues: Implications for Application of 14C Bomb-Spike Dating in Forensic Medicine

Various samples extracted from human tissues (with different radiocarbon turnover rates) of a post-bomb human body were submitted to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating: hair; a cortical fraction of a skull bone; a trabecular fraction of a pubic symphysis; and enamel extracted from permanent teeth with different dates of formation were analyzed. The analyzed samples showed varying 14C concentrations corresponding to different times of formation or different turnover rates. The implications of the results in forensics studies are discussed.

Wiggle-Match Dating of Wooden Samples from Iron Age Sites in Northern Italy

Archaeological excavations carried out at the sites of Laion/Lajen (Bolzano/Bozen) and Stufles-Oberegger (Bressanone/Brixen) in northern Italy uncovered well-preserved wooden samples in cultural layers archaeologically dated to the Iron Age. From the 2 sites, different wooden samples were recovered that were well preserved enough to allow clear identification of the tree species and of the ring structure. Among the different wooden samples, 2 were selected for radiocarbon analyses: from Laion/Lajen, a beam with an unbroken sequence of 158 rings; from Stufles-Oberegger, a combusted trunk with a sequence of 217 rings. Both samples were identified as Larix decidua species. From each sequence, single rings were selected and submitted for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating analysis at CEDAD. Conventional 14C ages were then calibrated to calendar ages using the IntCal04 atmospheric data set, while the statistical constraints resulting from the defined ring sequence were used to develop a wiggle-matching approach by making use of the Bayesian analysis functions available in OxCal. The obtained results are an important contribution in refining the chronology of the studied sites.

THE NEOLITHIC SITE OF SERRA CICORA: RESULTS OF THE AMS RADIOCARBON DATING

Bone and charcoal samples from the Neolithic site of Serra Cicora in the Salento Peninsula (southern Italy) have been dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Measurements appear to support other archaeological evidence and have shown that 2 distinct phases of human occupation of the site can be identified: the first occupation in the Early Neo- lithic and a second occupation in the Middle-Late Neolithic. The results provide new information and are a fundamental con- tribution to the definition of the absolute chronology of the Middle-Late Neolithic in this part of Europe.

RBS analysis of ions implanted in light substrates exposed to hot plasmas laser-generated at PALS

Ge and Ta ion implantation of silicon and carbon substrates has been obtained at PALS Research Laboratory in Prague by using laser pulses of 400 ps duration, 438 nm wavelength, 1014−16 W/cm2 intensity. Substrates were exposed in vacuum at different distances from the target and at different angles with respect to the normal to the target surface. ‘On line’ measurements of ion energy were obtained with time-of-flight techniques by using an electrostatic deflector as ion energy analyzer. ‘Off line’ measurements of ion energy were obtained by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) of 2.25 MeV He2+ beam at CEDAD Laboratory of Lecce University. The RBS spectra have given the depth profiles of the ion-implanted species and the implanted doses as a function of the laser intensity, angular position and target distance. A spectra deconvolution method based on the ion stopping power in the substrate matrix was applied in order to evidence the energy of the implanted ions. Measurements indicate that ions with energy ranging between 100 keV and 10 MeV and dose of the order of 1014−16/cm2 are implanted and that the process of ion implantation occurs mainly in substrates placed at little angles with respect to the normal to the target surface. Only a thin film deposition occurs for substrates placed at large angles with respect to the normal direction. Results indicate that the ion energies measured with the ‘on line’ and the ‘off line’ techniques are in good agreement.