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18 - Radiocarbon Dating

from Part VI - Absolute Dating Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2019

By
Simon Blockley
Edited by
Michael P. Richards  and
Kate Britton
Michael P. Richards
Affiliation:
Simon Fraser University, British Columbia
Kate Britton
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
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Summary

The radiocarbon (14C) method underpins most chronologies for the last 50,000 years, due to the accuracy and ubiquity of the technique, suitable for organic material and some carbonates, with uncertainties in the tens to hundreds of years. It is used widely in archaeology, and in studies of past environmental change, but there have been problems to overcome. This chapter outlines the basic principles and examines some of the key developments in the technique.

Type
Chapter
Information
Archaeological Science
An Introduction
 , pp. 407 - 423
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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