Petchey, FionaClark, GeoffreyWinter, OlafO'Day, PatrickLitster, Mirani2017-10-0420162017-10-042016Petchey, F., Clark, G., Winter, O., O’Day, P., & Litster, M. (2016). Colonisation of Remote Oceania: New dates for the Bapot-1 site in the Mariana Islands. Archaeology in Oceania. https://doi.org/10.1002/arco.51080003-8121https://hdl.handle.net/10289/11379The colonisation of the Mariana Islands in Western Micronesia is likely to represent a long-distance ocean dispersal of more than 2000 km, and establishing the date of human arrival in the archipelago is important for modelling Neolithic expansion in Island South-East Asia and the Pacific. In 2010, Clark et al. published a paper discussing a number of radiocarbon dates from the Bapot-1 site on Saipan Island, but a disparity between charcoal and marine shell (Anadara sp.) results prevented the calculation of a definitive age for the site and left open the possibility that Bapot-1 was first settled as early as 3500 calBP. Here, we present new research using a combination of stable isotope (δ13C and δ18O) and 14C information to demonstrate that A. antiquata from the lowest layers of Bapot-1 is affected by hardwaters. These new results indicate human arrival at Bapot-1 occurred around 3200-3080 calBP (1250-1130 BC). We recommend a similar isotopic evaluation for other sites in the Marianas that are dated by marine shell.application/pdfenThis is an author’s submitted version of an article published in the journal: Archaeology in Oceania. © 2016 Oceania Publications.colonisationRemote OceaniaMariana IslandshardwaterradiocarbonAnadaraJournal Article10.1002/arco.51081834-4453