The method – core principles
The 14C dating method is the standard technique used to date archaeological objects and geological formations. It is based on measuring 14C, a radioactive isotope of carbon formed in the atmosphere and incorporated by living organisms. When an organism dies, carbon exchange with the environment stops, and 14C begins to decay at a known rate (half-life ~5700 years). By measuring the remaining 14C in a sample, the time elapsed since the death of the organism can be estimated. This method can date materials up to about 50,000 years old.
Radiocarbon dating is applied in a wide range of research fields: archaeology, art history, geology, geomorphology, paleoclimatology, paleobotany, as well as ecology, agronomy, and modern environmental monitoring. By nature, 14C dating is a multidisciplinary approach at the intersection of the humanities and environmental sciences.
Futher information ….
Method
Overview of the current state of general knowledge
- Hajdas I. et al. (2021) Radiocarbon dating. Nature Reviews Methods Primers 1(1). doi.org/10.1038/s43586-021-00058-7.
The latest 14C calibration curves:
- IntCal20: Reimer P.J., et al. (2020) The IntCal20 Northern Hemisphere radiocarbon age calibration curve (0–55 cal kBP). Radiocarbon 62(4), 725-757. doi:10.1017/RDC.2020.41.
- SHCal20: Hogg A.G. et al. (2020) SHCal20 Southern hemisphere calibration, 0-55,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 62, 759-778. doi: 10.1017/RDC.2020.59
- Marine20 : Heaton T. J. et al. (2020) Marine20—The Marine Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curve (0–55,000 cal BP). Radiocarbon 62, 779-820.
- Calibomb22: Hua Q. et al. (2022) Atmospheric Radiocarbon for the Period 1950–2019. Radiocarbon 64(4), 723-745 doi: 10.1017/rdc.2021.95.
Conceptual articles on the 14C cycle and implications for sample selection:
- Hatté C. et Jull A.J.T. (2023) 14C dating of plant macrofossils, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences. doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-99931-1.00075-1.
- Heaton T. J., Bard E., Bronk Ramsey C., Butzin M., Hatté C., Hughen K. A., Köhler P. and Reimer P. J. (2022) A Response to Community Questions on the Marine20 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curve: Marine Reservoir Ages and the Calibration of 14c Samples from the Oceans. Radiocarbon 10.1017/rdc.2022.66, 1-27.
Selected vidéos
En mission à la Grotte Chauvet
Le principe de la datation 14C
Chronologie et géochimie 14C : quoi de neuf en Ile-de-France?