The general reliability of 14C dating in archaeology induced us to try to extend the method to other datable materials that may be uncovered, even those which have till now been neglected or considered unreliable. Improvements in AMS techniques will also help us date very small samples or those with low carbon content. For these reasons we have undertaken a systematic study of the application of 14C dating to potsherds which are usually abundant in prehistoric sites and often more representative of human activity than other materials such as charcoal (Evin, 1983).

Sherds can be dated by four independent methods: 14C beta counting on associated material, accelerator mass spectrometry on carbon traces on and within the sherd, thermoluminescence studies on minerals within the sherd, and stylistic form. Age analyses of materials and sherds from several sites are shown in this work. Each technique has its own frequently encountered non-laboratory sources of error. A combination of at least two independent techniques is indispensable for the highest level of confidence.

An attempt is presented to establish an absolute chronology of early Slavonic habitation in the region of the mouth of the Odra River up to the Baltic and to find associations with a series of stave boats and dugouts of different levels of technology and navigation. The methodology of the research project is presented and some conclusions of a general nature are drawn from the results already obtained.

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.

Palynologic and archaeologic studies using 14C dating indicate that elements of farming were introduced even further north than the Arctic Circle during the Neolithic period, ca 4000 BP. A second stage with heavier reliance on farming and with probable establishment of permanent farmsteads is dated to 2000–2500 BP.

Evidence of a tradition of human maritime adaptation was recovered from various sites at Beagle Channel dating back to ca 6000 yr BP. Final occupations date to European settlement in the 19th century. The Túnel site exhibits discontinuous human occupation ranging from 6000 to 500 yr BP, represented by different archaeologic remains in each layer. Associated charcoal, mollusk shells, and Lama guanicoe and Arctocephalus australis bones were dated. Shells and Arctocephalus are consistently older than charcoal, demonstrating the reservoir effect at Beagle Channel. Results encourage further work in the area to evaluate the spatial and temporal magnitude of the effect.

The relationship between 13C content of human bone and the marine fraction in the individual diet is well established. In the present investigation human skeletons from inland and coastal areas in Norway were analyzed. Both regional and chronologic differences are revealed, and larger variability than expected at specific sites indicate more complex cultural adaptations than earlier recognized. Extremely high δ13C values, comparable with those obtained from Eskimo sites, are found for material from Early Stone Age fishing/hunting communities.

A new radiocarbon sample record form has been compiled for consensus among radiocarbon daters and users. The form is designed to obtain comprehensive standardized documentation of radiocarbon dates for reporting and disseminating valuable data. This method of reporting 14C dates will help resolve problems which include: 1) publication of all dated samples, 2) selection of significant samples, 3) interpretation of data, 4) recognition of problematic dates, 5) maintenance of an active archive of 14C dates, and 6) implementation of an international retrieval system for dates.

The development of a Thesaurus of Radiocarbon Dating and Related Terms was undertaken to provide a basic common vocabulary of terms for the purpose of indexing an Annotated Bibliography of Radiocarbon Dating (1948–68) and form the basis of a language for information storage and retrieval in 14C dating and related term areas. The interdisciplinary nature of 14C dating dictates that selected terms have meanings in the context of archaeology, geology, earth sciences, oceanography, and environmental sciences, to name but a few, as well as chemistry and nuclear instrumentation on which the technique of 14C determinations is based. This paper describes the method used for selection of terms and explains the structure of the proposed thesaurus. A limited edition Draft Thesaurus was distributed to a selected panel of colleagues for critical evaluation.

A high-level record structure for the international communication of 14C data bases is proposed. The record structure is based on the high-level communication format first proposed by the authors at the 23rd International Symposium on Archaeometry, Naples, 1983 and does not require the abandonment of existing systems. A description is given of an implementation of the high-level system at Harwell, with examples of retrieval in an international format (the Radiocarbon date list format) and a keyword-organized local format.

Since May 1952 the Isotope Physics Laboratory in Groningen has dated ca 13,000 14C samples. Due to lack of time the publication of date lists in Radiocarbon ceased in 1971 and probably will not be resumed in the standard way. Most dates have been published but they are scattered over a great variety of books and articles.