Bayesian radiocarbon models for the cultural transition during the Allerod in southern Scandinavia

During late Greenland Interstadial 1 (the Altered chronozone), southern Scandinavia witnessed an abrupt cultural transition. This period marks the end of Late Magdalenian/Final Palaeolithic Federmessergruppen in the region, and the beginning of the Bromme culture. The latter is characterised by a restricted territorial range, loss of bow-arrow technology, and a general reduction in material culture complexity. Different hypotheses for the origin of the Bromme culture have been put forward, variously stressing local continuity or discontinuity. Different environmental and cultural factors have been suggested to force the observed changes, but crucially their precise timing remains elusive. Here, we review competing hypotheses for this cultural transition, and evaluate them using an audited regional database of the available C-14 dates. We construct a series of Bayesian calibration models using the INTCAL09 calibration curve to clarify timings of cultural continuity/discontinuity, probable duration of different techno-complexes, and relationships between environmental changes and material culture transitions. Our models suggest that the Bromme culture emerged late in the Altered, and that the Laacher See-eruption most probably forced this cultural event horizon. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.