Luminescence based loess chronostratigraphy of the Upper Palaeolithic site Krems-Wachtberg, Austria

The loess section Krems-Wachtberg (Lower Austria) is well known for its Upper Palaeolithic find layer, which contains a double and a single infant burial. The layer containing the grave (archaeological horizon AH 4.4) was dated to 26,580 ± 160 14C BP (Einwögerer et al., 2006), corresponding to ca. 31 ka cal BP and is embedded in an 8 m thick loess sequence. In order to provide a chronostratigraphy of the entire section, 38 samples for luminescence dating were taken at high resolution from below and above the find layer. The samples were dated using the quartz coarse grain fraction, the quartz fine grain fraction and/or the polymineral fine grain fraction. The resulting ages are in correct chronostratigraphic order and, in case samples were measured with different protocols, agree within errors with each other and with the radiocarbon age of the find layer. The polymineral fine grain ages are systematically slightly lower than the quartz ages, although no fading could be detected in laboratory experiments. Loess deposition at the site commenced ca. 40 ka ago and reaches up to ca. 22 ka. The ages indicate nearly continuous loess sedimentation throughout this time span. Short breaks in sedimentation probably exist but cannot be resolved due to the uncertainties of luminescence ages.