Direct 14 C Dating of Early and Mid-Holocene Saharan Pottery

A groundbreaking study directly radiocarbon-dated pottery from Tassili n'Ajjer, revealing ages spanning 5270 ± 35 BP to 8160 ± 45 BP (6276–9190 cal BP), marking the transition from pre-Pastoral to Pastoral contexts during the early-mid Holocene. The research employed a combined geochemical and microscopic approach to isolate plant material in pottery, providing reliable 14C ages that align with typological chronologies. This method not only confirms the potential of vegetal temper in pottery for dating Saharan archaeological sites but also sheds light on the cultural shifts during the Holocene transition.

Messili, L., Saliège, J.-F., Broutin, J., Messager, E., Hatté, C., & Zazzo, A. (2013). Direct ¹⁴ C Dating of Early and Mid-Holocene Saharan Pottery. Radiocarbon, 55(3), 1391–1402. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033822200048323