14C dating of the Niya site in the Tarim Basin

The C-14 ages were determined for wood samples collected from the Niya site in the Tarim Basin, China. The calendar C-14 ages are the oldest in the northern part (800-100 cal BC) and the youngest (140-620 cal AD) in the southern part. The results suggest that ancient Niya had moved southward during the period of ca. 2300-1600 BP. The ages in the middle and the southern parts are consistent with the previous studies of old documents. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.