Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T21:07:21.206Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Is Radiocarbon Dating Obsolescent for Archaeologists?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Barbara S Ottaway*
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This paper will deal with two major points: 1) the lack of feedback between archaeologists supplying samples and using radiocarbon dating, and physicists carrying out 14C dating measurements; and 2) the problem of calibrating groups of 14C dates in a statistically meaningful way.

Type
VII. Applications in Archaeology
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

Campbell, R C, 1974, Statistics for biologists, 2nd ed: Cambridge, Cambridge Univ Press, p 3539.Google Scholar
Diem, K, ed, 1962, Documenta Geigy scientific tables, 6th ed: Manchester, England, Geigy Pharmaceutical Co. Google Scholar
Efron, B, 1979, Bootstrap methods: another look at the jackknife: Annals Statistics, v 7, p 126.Google Scholar
Felber, H, 1982, Vienna Radium Institute radiocarbon dates XII: Radiocarbon, v 24, no. 2, p 222228.Google Scholar
International Study Group, 1982, An inter-laboratory comparison of radiocarbon measurements in tree rings: Nature, v 298, p 619623.Google Scholar
Klein, J, Lerman, J C, Damon, P E and Ralph, E K, 1982, Calibration of radiocarbon dates: Tables based on the consensus data of the Workshop on Calibrating the Radiocarbon Time Scale: Radiocarbon, v 24, no. 2, p 103150.Google Scholar
Linick, T W, 1979, La Jolla natural radiocarbon measurements VIII: Radiocarbon, v 21, no. 2, p 186202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meulengracht, A, McGovern, P and Lawn, B, 1981, University of Pennsylvania radiocarbon dates XXI: Radiocarbon, v 23, no. 2, p 227240.Google Scholar
Ottaway, B S, 1972, Dispersion diagrams: a new approach to the display of 14C dates: Archaeometry, v 15, p 512.Google Scholar
Ottaway, B S, 1973, Estimating the duration of cultures: Antiquity, v 47, p 231233.Google Scholar
Ottaway, B S, ed, 1983, Archaeology, dendrochronology and the radiocarbon calibration curve: Occasional papers no. 9, Dept Archaeol, Edinburgh Univ. Google Scholar
Ottaway, B S, 1984, Zwei neolithische Siedlungsgrabungen in Niederbayern: Archäol Korrespondenzblatt, v 14, no. 1, p 2329.Google Scholar
Ottaway, B S, in press a, The Galgenberg, a late Neolithic enclosure in Bavaria, in Burgess, C, ed, Enclosures and defences in the Neolithic of western Europe: Oxford, Br Archaeol Repts.Google Scholar
Ottaway, B S, in press b, Neue Radiokarbondaten Altheimer und Chamer Siedlungsplätze in Niederbayern: Archäol Korrespondenzblatt.Google Scholar
Pearson, G W, Pilcher, J R and Baillie, M G L, 1983, High-precision 14C measurement of Irish oaks to show the natural 14C variations from 200 BC to 4000 BC in Stuiver, M, and Kra, R S, eds, Internatl 14C conf, 11th, Proc: Radiocarbon, v 25, no. 2, p 179186.Google Scholar
Siegel, S, 1956, Non-parametric statistics for the behavioral sciences: London,Google Scholar
Waterbolk, H T, 1983a, Ten guidelines for the archaeological interpretation of radiocarbon dates: PACT, p 5770.Google Scholar
Siegel, S, 1983b, The integration of radiocarbon dating in archaeology in Stuiver, M, and Kra, R S, eds, Internatl C conf, 11th, Proc: Radiocarbon, v 25, no. 2, p 639644.Google Scholar