14C dates as demographic proxies in Neolithisation models of northwestern Europe: a critical assessment using Belgium and northeast France as a case-study

This paper critically assesses the use of radiocarbon dates as demographic proxies for population dynamics during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in northwest Europe. Using data from Belgium and northeast France, the impact of biasing factors such as intersite and interregional differences in research intensity (frequency and scale of excavations) and focus (dating programs, thematic foci), site taphonomy, and feature density are discussed. Although these biases are commonly acknowledged in studies using “dates as data”, this study demonstrates that their impact is generally underestimated and underlines the importance of a multi-proxy approach to debates surrounding demographic and cultural changes during the Neolithisation process.