Reconstructions arc presented of past growth rates of 10 Acacia tortilis trees, 5 growing at an arid site (Gebeit, Sudan) and 5 at a hyperarid site (Wadi Nuqrus, Egypt). The reconstructions were made using a free-shape age-depth model based on a series of 14C dates obtained on samples taken along the wood cores retrieved from the trunks of the trees (78 dates in total). In spite of the large difference in annual precipitation between the 2 sites, the range of ages of the trees (60–350 yr) and the variability in their growth rates are quite similar across both sites, whereas within-site growth rates are quite different even for closely spaced individuals. However, the pattern of growth rates of Acacias from the hyperarid Wadi Nuqrus indicates 2 periods of different aridity (the less arid AD 1650–1780 and more arid AD 1780–1930), while at Gebeit no such pattern has been detected.

We performed pollen analysis and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating on cored sediments (KS0412-3) from Kashibaru Marsh, located in the western part of the Sefuri Mountains in northern Kyushu, southwestern Japan, to investigate environmental change around the marsh. Sediment accumulation began in this marsh around cal AD 1200 and continued with an estimated average sedimentation rate of about 4 mm/yr. Human rice cultivation at this location began around cal AD 1300 and was abandoned due to the deposition of a thick sand layer at around cal AD 1400. Since this event, the area has been maintained as a “natural” marsh.

Variation in stable carbon isotope ratios in C3 plants can be influenced by climatic and environmental factors. For archaeologists, who regularly collect the measured values of these data as a part of the radiocarbon date reporting process, there is promise in using these data to create a local record of paleoclimatic change relevant to their study areas. Plant Δ13C can be expressed as δ13C values (carbon isotopic discrimination) that can be used in modern experimental studies for stronger paleoclimatic/paleoenvironmental interpretations. As values of Δ13C vary in different species, taxonomic information is necessary for interpretation. In the present study, a record of Irish oak δ13C data are used to construct a local climate history for Ireland. Wetter periods in Ireland inferred from δ13C data correspond to warmer Northern Hemisphere temperatures, in agreement with climate models. Values of δ13C from other species are used to illustrate the importance of using data from taxa with known relationships between climate and stable carbon isotope fractionation.

A simplified model of hydrological changes during the Late Glacial and Holocene is presented for the northern Polish regions that were ice covered during the Last Glacial. This reconstruction is based on a group of 197 radiocarbon dates from about 120 localities reflecting the sequence of alternating lake transgressions and regressions. The earliest transgressions were related to dead-ice melting (sometimes in 2–3 phases), while the later ones started during more humid phases. However, these were usually followed by regressions, which may have been connected with the formation of new drainage systems and with the overgrowing of shallow lakes by peat bogs.

An age-depth model based on radiocarbon dates was produced from a Holocene profile collected from a rich fen situated in the Beskid Sądecki Mountains (the Outer Western Carpathians, southern Poland). The model is compared against the results of palynological and loss on ignition (LOI) analyses supplemented by the identification of organic deposits. Five distinct palynological episodes are detected. These potential palynological age markers are critically compared with the results of age-depth modeling and other dated profiles. The results presented distinctly show that using palynological episodes as age markers for age-depth construction may be highly misleading.

A sediment core was studied to characterize the influences of Holocene sea-level variations in the Barra Seca River valley, in the Atlantic rainforest, Linhares, Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and sponge spicules), 14C dating, granulometry, δ13C, δ15N, C/N and major chemical elements revealed the establishment and the evolution of a paleo-estuary during the interval from ∼7700–585 cal BP. During the interval ∼7700–7000 cal BP, the study site was occupied by a bay-head delta, the inner portion of the paleo-estuary, presenting the most dense mangrove coverage of the entire record. In the interval ∼7000–3200 cal BP, the site was occupied by the central basin, possibly a consequence of the landward migration of the paleo-estuary. This interval presents reduced mangrove coverage, probably due to the permanent flooding of the valley. From ∼3200 cal BP, the marine influence at the site decreased probably as result of the seaward migration of the coast line. From ∼600 cal BP, the modern floodplain and freshwater lake were established. This interpretation is in agreement with the sea-level curves for the southeastern Brazilian coast, except for the fact that evidence of sea levels lower than the present at ∼4000 and ∼2500 cal BP as suggested by some authors were not found.

Analysis of biological proxies in lake sediment and geochemical analysis of soil profiles reveal natural vegetation dynamics, with climate inferences, since the late Pleistocene in a fragment of the pristine lowland Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Carbon isotopes from soil organic matter and 14C ages from the humin fraction indicate the dominance of C3 plants since ∼17,000 cal BP. Palynological analysis of a sediment core indicates the presence of Atlantic Forest vegetation since 7700 cal BP. Changes in the relative abundance of tree ferns and palms suggest the predominance of a humid period from ∼7000–4000 cal BP and establishment of the modern seasonal climate at ∼4000 cal BP. Data indicate maintenance of the regional forest coverage since the late Pleistocene, corroborating previous suggestions that this region was a forest refuge during less humid periods of the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Some plant taxa with currently divided distributions between Amazonia and the Atlantic Forest colonized the region since at least 7500 cal BP, indicating an earlier connection between Amazonia and Atlantic Forest.

This study compares age estimates of recent peat deposits in 10 European ombrotrophic (precipitation-fed) bogs produced using the 14C bomb peak, 210Pb, 137Cs, spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs), and pollen. At 3 sites, the results of the different dating methods agree well. In 5 cores, there is a clear discrepancy between the 14C bomb peak and 210Pb age estimates. In the upper layers of the profiles, the age estimates of 14C and 210Pb are in agreement. However, with increasing depth, the difference between the age estimates appears to become progressively greater. The evidence from the sites featured in the study suggests that, provided aboveground plant material (seeds, leaves) is selected for dating, the 14C bomb peak is a reliable dating method, and is not significantly affected by the incorporation of old carbon with low 14C content originating from sources including air pollution deposition or methane produced by peat decomposition. 210Pb age estimates that are too old may be explained by the enrichment of 210Pb activity in the surface layers of peat resulting from a hypothesized mechanism where rapidly infilling hollows, rich in binding sites, may scavenge 210Pb associated with dissolved organic matter passing through the hollow, as part of the surface drainage network. Until further research identifies and resolves the cause of the inaccuracy in 210Pb dating, age estimates of peat samples based only on 210Pb should be used with caution.

We summarize the use of radiocarbon produced by spallation in meteorites in space to determine their terrestrial age or residence time. This “age” gives us important information as it can be compared to the rates of weathering and infall of meteorites. The processes that affect the collection of meteorites in a given area can be related to the rates of infall of new meteorites, and the rate of removal by chemical weathering and physical erosion.

The concentrations of 10Be and 14C and values of δ13C in samples collected during a major dust storm in Beijing on 16–17 April 2006 were studied. The 10Be concentrations ranged from 1.69 × 108 to 2.07 × 108 atom/g, 14C ages for black carbon (BC) ranged from 3001 to 5181 yr BP and for total inorganic carbon (TIC) from 8464 to 9119 yr BP, and δ13C values for BC ranged from -23.15% to -23.80% and for TIC from -5.39% to -5.98%. A comparison of BC content and δ13C value between the dust, surface soil in the dust source region, and aerosols in Beijing indicated that BC in the dust deposited in Beijing is significantly incorporated by aerosol BC during the dust transportation. Based on the 14C ages of BC, the proportion of fossil-fuel-derived BC was 0.35–0.49 of the total. In contrast to BC, the TIC deposited in Beijing can be firmly related to the source area and δ13C was not significantly modified during its transportation. According to the 14C ages of TIC, the proportion of the secondary carbonate in the dust was from 0.63 to 0.70. The results confirm that 14C of TIC is another useful tracer to indicate the source region of dust besides the content and δ13C value of TIC from the arid and semi-arid regions of China.

For this radiocarbon study, 7 saltwater pearls and 3 shells from pearl oysters have been analyzed. The declared ages of the samples range from the mid-19th century to very recent formations. The analyzed data show the potential of the bomb peak time marker to provide additional information when testing pearls. The analyzed pearls could be distinctly separated in pearls of pre- and post-bomb peak ages, in agreement with the distinction based on the declared ages. The analyzed data further reveals the potential of this method to provide supporting evidence for the historic provenience of a pearl or as an indication of a natural or cultured formation of a pearl.

This article describes the contribution of the radiocarbon dating method to the authentication of ethnographic objects on some significant examples coming from the collections of the Quai Branly Museum (Paris, France) and the Museum of African Arts (Marseilles, France). The first object is a bludgeon of hard wood from the Tupinambá ethnic group and thought to be brought from Brazil by Andre Thévet, cosmographer of King Francis I. This object supposedly dates to the 16th century. Another example concerns a series of architectural columns, brought from Peru in 1910 by Captain Paul Berthon from the archaeological site of Pachacamac, the largest sanctuary on the central coast of Peru. These pieces have induced a strong reaction in the French scientific community, which has described them as “some vulgar fake” because of a particular decoration and also their unique typology. We will present also the dating of 2 Tibetan textiles and 2 pre-Columbian ponchos made with feathers, which were not well documented. The last example concerns a decorated skull covered with a mosaic of blue and black turquoises and belonging to a civilization predating the Aztecs (AD 1300–1500). All these examples illustrate the decisive contribution of 14C dating to the authentication of museum objects that lack information about their origin.

Radiocarbon and stable isotope determination in foods, flavors, and beverages, for the authentication of source material and process of formation, is a well-established method of identity used in industry. New methods of provenance determination, using stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen, have added to the host of other isotopic methods used for characterizing natural or botanically derived products. The unambiguous determinant of a product's fossil fuel origin be it from petroleum, natural gas, or coal, is through the measurement of its 14C content. The 14C content can also be used to determine the fraction dilution of recently grown and harvested material with that derived from fossil fuel, and even confirms the vintage of agricultural products based on the well-established decrease of bomb-produced atmospheric 14C. This paper documents 14C measurements at the University of Georgia's Center for Applied Isotope Studies accelerator mass spectrometry and stable isotope laboratories, over the last 3 yr, for 10 important flavoring compounds. By establishing an accurate and current level of 14C in botanically derived products, we were able to confirm a particular source for vanilla production, the most popular consumer flavor in the marketplace. Over the years, vanilla extract has been produced less and less from vanilla beans (Vanilla planifolia), particularly those from Madagascar and the Comoros Islands, and more from other botanical precursors such as ferulic acid, clove oil, and guaiacol. We report isotopic data to support this precursor for vanilla production based on high 14C levels accumulated during the tree's life, incorporated in the tree rings and their associated stable isotope abundances.

Using liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), radiocarbon concentrations were measured for wine from 8 wineries located in 7 countries in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The 14C concentrations of ethanol and residual materials in the wine were correlated (correlation coefficient 0.82). The δ14C measurements of wine samples from the mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere were approximately 1l% lower than the extrapolations from Schauinsland data, suggesting a local fossil fuel effect. δ14C measurements from the wine samples from the Southern Hemisphere were higher than those from the Northern Hemisphere. The offsets of the 4 wine δ14C measurements were significant, with values between approximately 8% and 15%. Because the harvest years of the mixed grapes were estimated to be 7–12 yr older than their vintage years, this leads to a caveat when determining the 14C concentrations of the year using the wine vintage.

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon analyses were performed on biobased unsaturated polyester resins in order to assess the potential of the method for the determination of the bio-fraction. Different resins were synthesized in the laboratory with different proportions of raw materials of biogenic origin, and analyzed both in the liquid and in the solid form. As a preliminary step of the study, both the biobased and the fossil-derived raw materials were analyzed in order to determine their 14C content. A comparison of the obtained results with the expected ones allowed us to investigate the potential of the 14C method in this field as well as to address some still open issues such as the levels of uncertainty and accuracy as related to the calculation procedures, the correction for isotopic fractionation, and the effect of the presence of volatile components in the analyzed materials.

Various samples extracted from human tissues (with different radiocarbon turnover rates) of a post-bomb human body were submitted to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating: hair; a cortical fraction of a skull bone; a trabecular fraction of a pubic symphysis; and enamel extracted from permanent teeth with different dates of formation were analyzed. The analyzed samples showed varying 14C concentrations corresponding to different times of formation or different turnover rates. The implications of the results in forensics studies are discussed.

This article presents new radiocarbon ages for the lavas, pyroclastic flow, and lahar deposits that originated from the Fugendake and Mayuyama volcanoes of the Younger Unzen Volcano, SW Japan. Nine charcoal samples were collected from the lavas and pyroclastic flow deposits, and 17 soil samples from the underlying volcanic-related products. This data set, together with previously published ages (thermoluminescence, K-Ar, fission track, and 14C), yielded new information about the timing of Late Pleistocene eruptions and an improved understanding of the evolution of the Fugendake and Mayuyama volcanoes. Fugendake Volcano started to build within the scar of Myokendake around 29 cal ka BP, and its eruption products spread over the flank of Myokendake. The remarkable eruptions of Fugendake Volcano included the lava and pyroclastic flow deposits around 22, 17, 12, and 4.5 cal ka BP. Subsequent historical eruptions occurred in AD 1663, 1792, and 1991–1995. Developed on the eastern extension of Fugendake Volcano, Mayuyama Volcano was active during the building stage of Fugendake at 4.5 cal ka BP. This study also identified a pumice eruption at ∼10 ka and 2 volcanic-related lahar deposits around 1.6 and 0.7 ka, which need to be addressed in future research.

The earliest years of photography were full of experimentation and innovation; many photographers from this era carefully documented their experimental procedures. Consequently, it is possible to reproduce historically accurate photographs and negatives today. One of the oldest forms of photographic technology is the waxed paper negative, popular during the mid-19th century. It consists of a photosensitive sheet of writing paper coated with a layer of wax to render it transparent. Modern waxed paper negatives made using 19th century paper can potentially pass for historically significant 19th century negatives. This poses problems to museums and others interested in studying or collecting authentic 19th century photographic images. We have developed methods for separating the organic components of waxed paper negatives and measuring their radiocarbon content as a means of distinguishing between modern and historic waxed paper negatives. By detecting the presence or lack of bomb carbon in a given negative, this process can act as a tool for authentication. We have mainly focused on the extraction and 14C measurement of the wax component, reasoning that modern photographers might have easy access to 19th century paper, but would less likely use 19th century beeswax.