Work

The Boon and Bane of Radiocarbon Dating

Year: 2005

Type: article

Abstract: There are underappreciated limitations of the conversion of {sup 14}C-ages to the fixed, calendrical time-scale that bear directly upon our understanding of the dynamic climate system, or the relationship between the collapse of one civilization and it's neighbor's. In this paper we present a quantitative assessment of the limits of {sup 14}C-geochronology and calibration onto the absolute calendrical time-scale over the Holocene. We take into account not only the inherent limitations of the {sup 14}C-calendar calibration curve, but also analytical uncertainties.

Source: Science

DOI: 10.1126/science.1104164

Authors: Tom P. Guilderson, Paula J. Reimer, Tom A. Brown

Institutions: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz

Language: English

Topic: Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory