Electron spin resonance (ESR) and thermal ionization mass spectrometric (TIMS) 230Th/234U dating of teeth in Middle Paleolithic layers at Amud Cave, Israel

Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating and thermal ionization mass spectrometric Th-230/U-234 dating was conducted on six teeth from the prehistoric site of Amud Cave. By combining the ESR and Th-230/U-234 analyses, we obtained burial ages for teeth in various layers of the site. Layer B-1/6-7, from which the Amud I Neanderthal skeleton was recovered, is dated to 53 +/- 8 ka. Layer B-2/8, which yielded other important human remains including the Amud 7 skeleton, gives a mean burial age of 61 +/- 9 ka. One tooth from the lowest layer (B-4) yielded a date of 70 +/- 11 ka, but another tooth from this layer gave an 113 +/- ka. Despite this discrepancy, these ages agree with previously published TL ages on heated flints for the corresponding layers. This agreement between ESR on tooth enamel and TL on burned flint is also seen at all other sites studied with both methods in Israel. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.