A new study published in Radiocarbon & Geochronology has introduced a highly refined Rubidium-Strontium (Rb-Sr) isochron dating methodology to date the lime-plaster floors of Neolithic dwellings in the Levant. Unlike traditional radiocarbon dating, which can be affected by carbonate contamination, this method measures the isotopic signatures within the inorganic mineral matrix of the plaster itself.
The results have refined the chronology of early sedentism in the region by nearly 150 years, showing that the transition to permanent architecture was more rapid than previously modeled. By applying this technique to Pre-Pottery Neolithic A sites, researchers can now track the seasonal phases of building construction with unprecedented precision, offering new insights into the social organization of the world's first permanent villages.