bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
14C Marine Reservoir Variability in Herbivores and Deposit-Feeding Gastropods from an Open Coastline, Papua New Guinea
Authors: Petchey Fiona , Ulm Sean , David Bruno , McNiven Ian J , Asmussen Brit , Tomkins Helene , Richards Thomas , Rowe Cassandra , Leavesley Matthew , Mandui Herman , Stanisic John
Published: July 2016

Herbivorous and deposit-feeding gastropods are a major component of archaeological shell middens worldwide. They provide a wealth of information about subsistence, economy, environment, and climate, but are generally considered to be less than ideal for radiocarbon dating because they can ingest sediment while they graze, inadvertently consuming terrestrial carbon in the process. However, few studies of 14C activity in herbivores or deposit-feeding gastropods have been conducted into this diverse range of animals that inhabit many environmental niches. Here, we present results investigating 14C variability in shells belonging to the families Strombidae and Potamididae from the Bogi 1 archaeological site, Caution Bay, southern coastal Papua New Guinea (PNG). These shells make up 39.3% of the shell MNI in the excavation units studied and some of these species are the most common taxa of neighboring sites. It would therefore be advantageous to establish if there are any 14C offsets associated with such animals, and identify those that can give reliable calendar ages. Our methodology combines a high-resolution excavation protocol, selection of short-lived samples identified to species level, and a triisotope approach using 14C, δ13C, and δ18O to evaluate the source of variability in shells. Our results indicate that considerable variation exists between different species of Strombidae with some inhabiting muddier environments that act as sinks for limestone-derived sediments with depleted 14C content. The magnitude of variation is, however, overshadowed by that measured in the mudwhelk, Cerithidea largillierti, which has the largest spread in 14C of any shellfish studied so far at Caution Bay. This animal ingests sediment within the estuary that contains 14C derived from both enriched and depleted sources.
Twenty Years of Atmospheric 14Co2 Observations At Schauinsland Station, Germany
Authors: Levin Ingeborg , Kromer Bernd
Published: July 2016

We present and discuss quasi-continuous long-term 14CO2 observations from the continental background station Schauinsland (48°N, 8°E, 1205 m asl, Black Forest, southern Germany). The observed steady decline of atmospheric 14CO2 from 1977 to 1996 can be described by a single exponential function with an e-folding time of (16.3 ± 0.2) yr. Summer means (May to August) in atmospheric 14CO2 at Schauinsland compare within Δ14C = ±4‰ with measurements made on individual rings from a tree grown in the near vicinity of the Schauinsland site. Both data sets are slightly depleted by up to 5‰ if compared to maritime background measurements of atmospheric 14CO2 made at Izaña, Tenerife. This is due to the influence of fossil fuel CO2 emissions over the European continent as well as generally in mid latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. δ13C analyses from the Schauinsland samples show mean seasonal variations with an amplitude of ±0.4‰, caused by atmosphere-biosphere exchange, and a mean decrease from 1977 to 1996 of δ13C = −0.017‰ yr−1. This trend is mainly due to an increasing quantity of fossil fuel CO2 in the atmosphere, depleted in 13C/12C ratio, and compares well to trends measured at other stations in mid-to-high northern latitudes.
Comparative Radiocarbon Dating of Lignite, Pottery, and Charcoal Samples from Babeldaob Island, Republic of Palau
Authors: Anderson Atholl , Chappell John , Clark Geoffrey , Phear Sarah
Published: July 2016

It is difficult to construct archaeological chronologies for Babeldaob, the main island of Palau (western Micronesia), because the saprolitic clays of the dominant terraced-hill sites and associated ceramic sherds often contain old carbon that originated in lignites. This has implications, as well, for chronologies of sedimentary sequences. Comparative analysis of the dating problem using lignite, pottery, and charcoal samples indicates that, in fact, there are both old and young sources of potential contamination. It is concluded that radiocarbon samples from Babeldaob need to be tested for appropriate carbon content rather than relying solely upon material identification.
AMS Radiocarbon Dating of Bone Samples from the Xinzhai Site in China
Authors: Liu Kexin , Han Baoxi , Guo Zhiyu , Wu Xiaohong , Yuan Sixun , Kutschera Walter , Ma Hongji , Priller Alfred , Steier Peter , Wild Eva Maria , Zhao Chunqing
Published: July 2016

Xinzhai is an important archaeological site discovered 40 yr ago and recently re-excavated in the Henan Province, China. It is believed that the cultural characteristics of the Xinzhai site correspond to the Xia dynasty, the first ancient dynasty of China. Radiocarbon measurements on bone samples from this site were performed at the Peking University AMS facility (PKU-AMS) and the Vienna University AMS facility (VERA). Calibrated ages were obtained with the computer program OxCal. The results of these measurements are presented and the related chronology is discussed.
Improved Tube Cracker for Opening Vacuum-Sealed Glass Tubes
Authors: Norton Glenn A
Published: July 2016

A variety of analytical procedures involve breaking open a glass or quartz vessel containing a gaseous sample, and then quantitatively collecting the sample gases for analysis. In order to do this, a variety of “tube crackers” have been used. This paper discusses an alternate tube cracker that offers numerous advantages over those that have been discussed previously in the literature.
A Radiocarbon Database for Scottish Archaeological Samples
Authors: Ashmore P J , Cook G T , Harkness D D
Published: July 2016

For the majority of dating laboratories and their respective user communities, the journalRadiocarbonis no longer regarded as the medium for primary publication of radiocarbon measurements. In compliance with editorial policy, the emphasis has long since moved towards the publication of research papers on technological enhancements and applications of14C as well as other cosmogenic isotopes and this has left a requirement for an alternative medium for the publication of date listsper se. In the late 1980s, an International Radiocarbon Data Base was proposed by Renee Kra (then the managing editor) but limitations in computer and communications technologies together with the inevitable financial implications meant that this timely concept could not be taken to completion. In the last year, we have taken advantage of the development of the worldwide web to compile a database of14C age measurements of a Scottish archaeological nature which can be found at the web addresshttp://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/.
On the Isotopic Composition of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in Rivers and Shallow Groundwater: A Diagrammatic Approach to Process Identification and A More Realistic Model of the Open System
Authors: Taylor C. B.
Published: July 2016

Rivers and shallow groundwater are deep groundwater precursors. Their dissolved inorganic carbon content (DIC) and its isotopic composition are end members in the evolution of these properties in confined situations, and are therefore essential information when applying carbon isotopes as tracers of groundwater processes and determining aquifer residence times using 14C.

During studies of regional aquifer systems in New Zealand, a simple model has been developed to explain the isotopic compositions of DIC encountered in rivers and shallow groundwater. The model format incorporates a diagrammatic approach, providing a framework for tracing the subsequent evolution of DIC in both precipitation- and river-recharged aquifers under closed conditions.

DIC concentration of rivers continuously adjusts toward chemical and isotopic equilibrium between direct addition of CO2 to the water (via plant respiration and decay of dead organic material) and exchange of CO2 across the river-air interface. In the shallow groundwater situation, the gaseous reservoir is soil CO2, generally at significantly higher partial pressure. In both cases, calcite dissolution or other processes may be an additional source of DIC directly added to the bicarbonate and dissolved CO2 components; while these may add or remove DIC, steady-state isotopic concentrations are considered to be determined only by the dynamic balance between directly added CO2 and gas exchange. This model allows the calculation of steady states, using selectable parameters in river or groundwater situations. These appear as straight lines in 13C or 14C vs. 1/DIC, or total 14C vs. DIC plots, into which the experimental data can be inserted for interpretation. In the case of 14C, the steady-state balance is very often complicated by the presence of an old component in the directly added DIC; the understanding achieved via the 13C patterns is helpful in recognizing this.

Data from four contrasting aquifer systems in New Zealand. The success of the approach has depended crucially on DIC concentrations measured very accurately on the isotope samples, rather than separate chemical analyses.
The 14C Content of Lithium Metal Used in Benzene Synthesis
Authors: Eastoe C. J. , Long Austin , Tucek Charles S. , Jull A. J. T.
Published: July 2016

The lithium reagent used in the synthesis of benzene for 14C dating contributes insignificant 14C in high-precision measurements on 7 g benzene samples. Blank experiments on three different batches of lithium yielded small amounts of carbon, most of which probably originated as “memory” in the reaction vessel.
AMS 14C Dating of Romanesque Rotunda and Stone Buildings of a Medieval Monastery in Łekno, Poland
Authors: Wyrwa Andrzej M , Goslar Tomasz , Czernik Justyna
Published: July 2016

Archaeological excavations performed for many years in Łekno, central Poland, have exposed relicts of wooden fortified settlements, and in its enclosure also basements of stone buildings, consisting of Romanesque rotunda and a Cistercian monastery, including an oratory, church, and abbot's house. Earlier archaeological, structural, and stratigraphical studies have shown that these buildings were constructed in a sequence and represented several phases of development.

In this paper, we present results of radiocarbon dating of stone buildings of the rotunda and the monastery. For 14C dating, we used tiny pieces of charcoal retrieved from calcareous and gypsum mortar binding stone elements from the buildings. These pieces were incorporated in mortar during the firing process, where the fuel used for firing was wood. Most of the obtained 14C dates formed clear groups, confirming that individual buildings were constructed in separate periods. Calibrated 14C dates of these phases agree well with the constraints provided by historical sources, and enable us to set their ages with accuracy better than previously available. In particular, we have learned that the oldest rotunda was built at the boundary of the 10/11th centuries, and the church and the abbot's house, before AD 1250. However, some samples gave much too old 14C ages, clearly reflecting the use of old wood for firing. These problems were revealed only for samples from the rotunda and for the gypsum stone ornamental details.
Paleoecology, Subsistence, and14C Chronology of the Eurasian Caspian Steppe Bronze Age
Authors: Shishlina N I , Zazovskaya E P , van der Plicht J , Hedges R E M , Sevastyanov V S , Chichagova O A
Published: July 2016

Combined analysis of paleoenvironment,13C,15N, and14C in bone, including paired dating of human bone and terrestrial materials (herbivore bone, wood, charcoal, and textile) has been performed on many samples excavated from Russian kurgan graves. The data can be used for dietary reconstruction, and reservoir corrections for14C dating of human bone. The latter is essential for an accurate construction of chronologies for the Eneolithic and Bronze Age cultures of the Caspian steppes.
Combination of Numerical Dating Techniques Using10Be in Rock Boulders and14C of Resilient Soil Organic Matter for Reconstructing the Chronology of Glacial and Periglacial Processes in a High Alpine Catchment during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene
Authors: Favilli Filippo , Egli Markus , Brandova Dagmar , Ivy-Ochs Susan , Kubik Peter W , Maisch Max , Cherubini Paolo , Haeberli Wilfried
Published: July 2016

Glacier fluctuations and paleoclimatic oscillations during the Late Quaternary in Val di Rabbi (Trentino, northern Italy) were reconstructed using a combination of absolute dating techniques (14C and10Be) and soil chemical characterization. Extraction and dating of the stable fraction of soil organic matter (SOM) gave valuable information about the minimum age of soil formation and contributed to the deciphering of geomorphic surface dynamics. The comparison of10Be surface exposure dating (SED) of rock surfaces with the14C ages of resilient (resistant to H2O2oxidation) soil organic matter gave a fairly good agreement, but with some questionable aspects. It is concluded that, applied with adequate carefulness, dating of SOM with14C might be a useful tool in reconstructing landscape history in high Alpine areas with siliceous parent material. The combination of14C dating of SOM with SED with cosmogenic10Be (on moraines and erratic boulders) indicated that deglaciation processes in Val di Rabbi were already ongoing by around 14,000 cal BP at an altitude of 2300 m asl and that glacier oscillations might have affected the higher part of the region until about 9000 cal BP.10Be and14C ages correlate well with the altitude of the sampling sites and with the established Lateglacial chronology.
Radiocarbon Dating of Calcined Bones: Where Does the Carbon Come from?
Authors: Zazzo A , Saliège J-F , Person A , Boucher H
Published: July 2016

Over the past decade, radiocarbon dating of the carbonate contained in the mineral fraction of calcined bones has emerged as a viable alternative to dating skeletal remains in situations where collagen is no longer present. However, anomalously low δ13C values have been reported for calcined bones, suggesting that the mineral fraction of bone is altered. Therefore, exchange with other sources of carbon during heating cannot be excluded. Here, we report new results from analyses on cremated bones found in archaeological sites in Africa and the Near East, as well as the results of several experiments aiming at improving our understanding of the fate of mineral and organic carbon of bone during heating. Heating of modern bone was carried out at different temperatures, for different durations, and under natural and controlled conditions, and the evolution of several parameters (weight, color, %C, %N, δ13C value, carbonate content, crystallinity indexes measured by XRD and FTIR) was monitored. Results from archaeological sites confirm that calcined bones are unreliable for paleoenvironmental and paleodietary reconstruction using stable isotopes. Experimental results suggest that the carbon remaining in bone after cremation likely comes from the original inorganic pool, highly fractionated due to rapid recrystallization. Therefore, its reliability for 14C dating should be seen as close to that of tooth enamel, due to crystallographic properties of calcined bones.
Dating Bones near the Limit of the Radiocarbon Dating Method: Study Case Mammoth from Niederweningen, ZH Switzerland
Authors: Hajdas Irka , Michczyński Adam , Bonani Georges , Wacker Lukas , Furrer Heinz
Published: July 2016

Preparation of bone material for radiocarbon dating is still a subject of investigation. In the past, the most problematic ages appeared to be the very old bones, i.e. those with ages close to the limit of the dating method. Development of preparative methods requires sufficient amounts of bone material as well as the possibility of verification of the ages. In the peat section at Niederweningen, ZH Switzerland, numerous bones of mammoth and other animals were found in the late 19th century. The first accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon ages of those bones from 1890/1891 excavations placed the age between 33,000 and 35,000 BP. The excavations in 2003/2004 provided additional material for 14C dating. An age of 45,870 ± 1080 BP was obtained on base (NaOH step) cleaned gelatin from mammoth bone, which was very close to the age of 45,430 ± 1020 BP obtained for the peat layer that buried the mammoths. The 14C age of gelatin cleaned using the ultrafiltration method obtained in this study, 45,720 ± 710 BP, is in a very good agreement with the previously obtained results. Moreover, the study shows that 3 pretreatment methods (base+Longin, Longin+ultrafiltration, and base+Longin+ultrafiltration) give ages consistent with each other and with the age of the peat section.
Dating the Neolithic: Methodological Premises and Absolute Chronology
Authors: Müller Johannes
Published: July 2016

Ideas of Neolithic societies and of the identities of Neolithic individuals changed rapidly during the last decade. The archaeological concept of “culture” implies sequential changes of material culture in spatial and temporal “slices.” The term “society” describes human behavior within social identities, which could produce huge differences in material culture. Ideas of Neolithic “cultures” are no longer valid, as absolute chronological evidence points to overlapping phenomena of material culture and social developments. A combined use of correspondence analysis (to detect similarities and differences in material culture) and radiocarbon data (to identify the chronological character of material culture) exemplifies such an approach in the deconstruction and reconstruction of Neolithic central Germany.
Depending on 14C Data: Chronological Frameworks in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Southeastern Europe
Authors: Reingruber Agathe , Thissen Laurens
Published: July 2016

With the introduction of the radiocarbon method in 1949 and the calibration curve constantly improving since 1965, but especially due to the development of the more accurate accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating some 30 yr ago, the application of the 14C method in prehistory revolutionized traditional chronological frameworks. Theories and models are adjusted to new 14C sequences, and such sequences even lead to the creation of new theories and models. In our contribution, we refer to 2 major issues that are still heavily debated, although their first absolute dating occurred some decades ago: 1) the transition from the Mesolithic to the Early Neolithic in the eastern and western Aegean. Very high 14C data for the beginning of the Neolithic in Greece around 7000 BC fueled debates around the Preceramic period in Thessaly (Argissa-Magoula, Sesklo) and the Early Neolithic in Macedonia (Nea Nikomedeia). A reinterpretation of these data shows that the Neolithic in Greece did not start prior to 6400/6300 BC; 2) the beginning and the end of the Chalcolithic period in SE Europe. Shifting from relative chronologies dating the Chalcolithic to the 3rd millennium BC to an absolute chronology assigning the Kodžadermen-Gumelniţa-Karanovo VI cultural complex to the 5th millennium BC, the exact beginning and the end of the period are still under research. New data from Varna (Bulgaria) and Pietrele (Romania) suggest that start and end of the SE European Chalcolithic have to be dated deeper into the 5th millennium BC.
14C Chronology of Avellino Pumices Eruption and Timing of Human Reoccupation of the Devastated Region
Authors: Passariello Isabella , Albore Livadie Claude , Talamo Pierfrancesco , Lubritto Carmine , D'Onofrio Antonio , Terrasi Filippo
Published: July 2016

The Avellino Pumices eruption was one of the most catastrophic volcanic events of Somma-Vesuvius, which hit prehistoric communities during the Early Bronze Age. In the last 30 yr, several authors reported assessments about its chronology, including radiocarbon datings, but with poor internal agreement and frequently with large experimental errors. A new and more accurate 14C dating of this eruption (1935–1880 BC, 1 σ) was obtained at the CIRCE laboratory in Caserta (Italy) by 3 AMS measurements on a bone sample of a goat buried by the eruption, collected in an Early Bronze Age village at Croce del Papa (Nola, Naples). These results were verified by other measurements on several samples chronologically related to the eruption. Our data show that human resettlement after the eruption occurred rather quickly but lasted only for a short time in areas affected by the volcanic products, like Masseria Rossa and San Paolo Belsito (Nola, Naples), according to 14C dating of archaeological samples collected below and above the eruption deposits. The state-of-the-art chronology of this eruption, emerging from the results obtained in this work as well as from data in the literature, is discussed.
Radiocarbon Measurement Program at the Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Spain
Authors: Javier Santos Arévalo F , Gómez Martínez Isabel , García León Manuel
Published: July 2016

In September 2005, an accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) system based on a 1MV Tandetron accelerator arrived at the Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA). One of the main research programs for this AMS facility is based on radiocarbon. At the same time as the AMS facility was installed and tested, the 14C sample preparation laboratory was designed and set up. A graphitization line that allows the preparation of 5 samples in parallel was designed and built in October 2006. The first months were mainly dedicated to check and optimize all the sample processing. For such a task, several reference samples have been prepared and measured. Since the beginning of 2007, the laboratory has been fully operational and is currently performing as a service for the scientific community. During 2007, nearly 100 unknown samples were prepared and measured in our AMS system. Most of them were for dating purposes, but also other applications were investigated. The performance of the 14C laboratory and dating service will be shown, with some examples as illustration.
Investigating a Dated Piece of the Shroud of Turin
Authors: Freer-Waters Rachel A , Timothy Jull A J
Published: July 2016

We present a photomicrographic investigation of a sample of the Shroud of Turin, split from one used in the radiocarbon dating study of 1988 at Arizona. In contrast to other reports on less-documented material, we find no evidence to contradict the idea that the sample studied was taken from the main part of the shroud, as reported by Damon et al. (1989). We also find no evidence for either coatings or dyes, and only minor contaminants.
Precise Comparison of 14C Ages from Choukai Jindai Cedar with IntCal04 Raw Data
Authors: Suzuki Kayo , Sakurai Hirohisa , Takahashi Yui , Sato Taiichi , Gunji Shuichi , Tokanai Fuyuki , Matsuzaki Hiroyuki , (Sunohara) Tsuchiya Yoko
Published: July 2016

We measured the radiocarbon ages of 165 single-year tree rings from a Japanese Choukai Jindai cedar using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). By wiggle-matching the Choukai_AMS data set to the IntCal04 calibration data using OxCal v 3.10 and using the variation of the correlation coefficients between the Choukai_AMS and IntCal04 data sets, we precisely re-estimated that the 321 Choukai Jindai cedar tree rings range from 780 to 460 cal BC with an accuracy of 8 yr. The Choukai_AMS data set is older than the 3 raw data sets of European tree rings that comprise IntCal04. The Belfast and Seattle data sets are younger by −21.3 ± 5.5 and −22.7 ± 5.6 14C yr, respectively. The Choukai Jindai cedar is ∼22 14C yr older than the European tree rings, which is equivalent to an offset of −2.8‰ in 14C. In addition, the Choukai_AMS data set correlates well with the Belfast and Seattle data sets, with correlation coefficients of 0.89 and 0.68, respectively, between the temporal profiles. Hence, the temporal profile of the Choukai 14C ages shows a global variation.
Calibration of Mangerud'S Boundaries
Authors: Walanus Adam , Nalepka Dorota
Published: July 2016

The “calibration” of arbitrarily defined (in some sense, “conventional”) ages, given in conventional radiocarbon years BP, is now becoming necessary because the term “radiocarbon age” is used less often in archaeological and Quaternary practice. The standard calibration procedure is inappropriate here because Mangerud's boundaries are not measurement results. Thus, another approach to the problem is proposed in order to model the natural situation of many, uniformly distributed, dated samples, which should be similarly divided by the original and “calibrated” boundary. However, the result depends on the value of the typical measurement error and is not unequivocal.
The Iron I/IIA Transition in the Levant: A Reply to Mazar and Bronk Ramsey and a New Perspective
Authors: Finkelstein Israel , Piasetzky Eli
Published: July 2016

Mazar and Bronk Ramsey (2008) recently proposed that the Iron I/IIA transition in the Levant took place during the first half of the 10th century. In the first part of this article, we challenge their method and conclusions. We argue against the inclusion of charcoal in their model, which could lead to an “old wood effect.” We also argue that in dealing with a transition date, all available data must be taken into consideration. In the second part of the article, we propose Bayesian Model I for the Iron I/IIA transition, which is based on 2 sets of data—for the periods immediately before and after this transition. Our model, along with the other 11 published Bayesian models for this transition that used only short-lived samples, agrees with the Low Chronology system for the Iron Age strata in the Levant and negates all other proposals, including Mazar's Modified Conventional Chronology. The Iron I/IIA transition occurred during the second half of the 10th century. In the third part of the article, we present a new insight on the Iron I/IIA transition. We propose that the late Iron I cities came to an end in a gradual process and interpret this proposal with Bayesian Model II.

Mazar and Bronk Ramsey (2008) recently challenged Sharon et al. (2007; also Boaretto et al. 2005) and us (e.g. Finkelstein and Piasetzky 2003, 2007a,b) regarding the date of transition from the Iron I to the Iron IIA in the Levant. While we and Sharon et al. placed this transition in the second half of the 10th century BCE, Mazar and Bronk Ramsey positioned it “during the first half of the 10th century BCE” and argued that “the second half of the 10th century BCE should be included in the Iron IIA” (Mazar and Bronk Ramsey 2008:178). We discuss some problems in the methodology of Mazar and Bronk Ramsey that may have influenced their results. In particular, we discuss 1) the exclusion of data; 2) the inclusion of data (charcoal samples); and 3) show that even according to Mazar and Bronk Ramsey, excluding these samples position the late Iron I/IIA transition in the late 10th century. Finally, we present our own 2 Bayesian models for the Iron I/IIA transition.
Centre of Research and Restoration of the Museums of France: AMS Radiocarbon Dates List 1
Authors: Richardin P , Gandolfo N , Moignard B , Lavier C , Moreau C , Cottereau E
Published: July 2016

The national project for the measurement of radiocarbon includes different scientific partners for the accelerator named ARTEMIS (French acronym for Accélérateur pour la Recherche en sciences de la Terre, Environnement, Muséologie Installé à Saclay), available to the scientific community since 2004 (Cottereau et al. 2007). The French Ministry of Culture uses this accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility at the request of archaeologists or curators of museums or of historical monuments. For the preparation of some samples, a laboratory has been installed at the Centre of Research and Restoration of the Museums of France, located in the Louvre Palace. In this report, the first data carried out on vegetal samples from museum objects or archaeological remains, dates are presented in terms of yr BP (before AD 1950).
Southern Methodist University Radiocarbon Date List III
Authors: Haas Herbert
Published: July 2016

The dates presented in this list were determined between June 1974 and October 1983. They relate to projects in North America and in Algeria. Dates with numbers prior to SMU-500 have generally no correction for fractionation. Following this initial series of dates an increasing number of δ13C/12C measurements were made by an outside laboratory, especially if the submitter requested a fractionation correction or if the sample was of carbonate or bone.
Tbilisi Radiocarbon Dates IV
Authors: Burchuladze A A , Togonidze G I
Published: July 2016

Results presented below were obtained by the Radiocarbon Laboratory of Tbilisi State University from 1976 to 1983. Throughout that period dates were determined not only for archaeologic samples but also for samples of mineral waters, soil humus, and geologic origin. Georgian wines of 1909–1975 were also analyzed but the results obtained are not discussed in this paper as they were published elsewhere (Burchuladze et al, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982).
The Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Stick-Nest Rat Middens in Australia
Authors: Pearson Stuart , Lawson Ewan , Head Lesley , McCarthy Lynne , Dodson John
Published: July 2016

The spatial and temporal distribution of 145 radiocarbon dates on 66 Australian stick-nest rat middens (Muridae: Leporillusspp.) range from modern to 10,900 ± 90 BP. As in American packrat middens, age frequency follows a logarithmic decay, both continentally and at major sites. This is probably a result of natural decay processes. Unlike American middens of similar age, relatively few range changes in plant distribution have been detected in Australia. The distribution of14C ages and the associated midden materials provide important paleoenvironmental information from the arid interior of Australia. The middens record subtle changes in vegetation and dramatic changes in the fauna unlike those interpreted from sites on the coastal rim or the southeastern periphery of the arid zone.
Gakushuin Natural Radiocarbon Measurements VIII
Authors: Kigoshi Kunihiko , Suzuki Nobuko , Fukatsu Hiroko
Published: July 2016

This list continues Gakushuin VII (R., 1969, v. 11, p. 295–362); the same instruments and techniques were employed. Age calculations are based on the Libby half-life of C14, 5570 ± 30 years, and the modern activity given by 95% of the activity of NBS oxalic acid standard. Errors quoted are the standard deviation obtained from the number of counts only. When observed activity is less than 2σ above background, infinite date is given with a limit corresponding to the activity of 3σ. For shell samples, dates are computed without any correction for environmental and biological isotopic fractionation. The description and comments are essentially those of the submitters.
Illinois State Geological Survey Radiocarbon Dates IV
Authors: Coleman Dennis D.
Published: July 2016

This date list includes all samples processed from December 1970 through November 1971 at the Illinois State Geological Survey Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory. The benzene liquid scintillation method of Noakes, Kim, and Stipp (1965), and Noakes, Kim, and Akers (1967) was used. A new benzene synthesis system has been completed, and several changes in the sample preparation procedure have been made since the last date list report (Coleman, 1972). A brief summary of the benzene synthesis and sample pretreatment techniques used to determine the dates reported here follows.
Radiocarbon Dates from a Holocene Deposit in Southwestern Australia
Authors: Dodson J R , Zhou Weijian
Published: July 2016

A radiocarbon chronology has been developed using shell, bulk peat, and paired charcoal and pollen preparations from a peat and clay sequence in southwestern Australia. The results indicate the sequence is of Holocene age, and the mid-Holocene was a period of rapid sediment deposition. The earliest record is based onBothriembyronsp. snail shell and there is a strong indication that the deposit had a stratigraphic hiatus between 9600 and 4700 BP. Modern shell of the snail has no ancient reservoir effect. The bulk peat ages were a little younger than associated AMS determinations on hand-picked charcoal and residues from pollen preparations. As a group, paired charcoal and pollen based dates were indistinguishable in age. This implies that the sedimentary charcoal shows no significant storage and transport time in the catchment before deposition. This is important when interpreting pollen records and sedimentary charcoal to reconstruct fire and vegetation dynamics and inter-relationships.
Tehran University Nuclear Centre Radiocarbon Date List I
Authors: Bovington Charles , Masoumi Roghiyeh
Published: July 2016

The Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory of Tehran University Nuclear Centre began operation in autumn 1970. Benzene synthesis and liquid scintillation counting was chosen as the best method for processing a large number of archaeologic specimens most of whose ages are less than twice the half-life of C14. Advantage of benzene synthesis; ease of chemical processing light transfer properties, lack of isotopie fractionation and radioactive contamination, removal of radon, and improbability of cross-contamination, have been discussed (Noakes et al., 1964; Noakes, Stipp, and Hood, 1964; Kowalski, 1965).
University of Lund Radiocarbon Dates VII
Authors: Håkansson Sören
Published: July 2016

Most of the 14C measurements reported here were made between October 1972 and October 1973. Equipment, measurement, and treatment of samples are the same as reported previously (R, 1968, v 10, p 36–37; 1970, v 12, p 534).
Ucr Radiocarbon Dates I
Authors: Taylor R E
Published: July 2016

A radiocarbon facility has been installed at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to support interdisciplinary studies including archaeologic, archaeometric, geophysical, and geologic research. The laboratory was built between 1970 and 1973. Initially, a sample pretreatment and combustion system designed for a proportional CO2 counting system was installed. It was designed after concepts developed at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and New Zealand (Institute of Nuclear Sciences) Laboratories, and began processing samples in November 1972.
University of Kiel Radiocarbon Measurements VIII
Authors: Erlenkeuser H , Metzner H , Willkomm H
Published: July 2016

The measurements presented in this list are part of the joint research program “Sonderforschungsbereich 95” of Kiel University for interdisciplinary research on problems of “Interaction Sea-Sea Bottom”, sponsored by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. They are directed 1) to the study of the path of 14C from the atmosphere into argillaceous sediments, and 2) to date stratigraphic records within sediment. Associated problems are to identify sources of different 14C activity that contribute to recent deposits, and to learn about effects of morphologic and hydrographic factors, especially of bottom currents, on sedimentation sequence. Even short term processes can be successfully studied by analyses of bomb produced radiocarbon in the marine environment.
University of Rome Carbon-14 Dates XIII
Authors: Alessio M , Bella F , Improta S , Belluomini G , Calderoni G , Cortesi C , Manelli G L , Vigilante A
Published: July 2016

This list includes the second group of age measurements made from September 1972 to July 1974 using the benzene scintillation method. All archaeologic and geologic samples come from Italian territory. Chemical apparatus for benzene synthesis and the liquid scintillation spectrometer are unchanged (Alessio et al, 1970a, 1973). Charcoal and wood samples underwent standard pretreatment by boiling with 5 to 10% HCl; α-labeled samples were given additional leaching with .2N NaOH. The counting rate of approx half the samples was corrected based on the 13C/12C ratio, mass-spectrometrically measured on CO2 obtained in combustion line set up after Broecker et al (1959), according to previously described procedure (Alessio et al, 1969).
University of Miami Radiocarbon Dates IV
Authors: Eldridge K L , Stipp J J , Hattner J , McDougal E
Published: July 2016

The following list of dates are selected from geologic and archaeologic samples measured in late 1974. The technique employed is liquid scintillation counting of wholly synthesized benzene as described in (R, v 16, p 402–408). Errors are reported as one standard deviation. Sample descriptions and comments were written in collaboration with collectors and submitters.
Announcement of A New Collaborative Study for Intercalibration of 14C Dating Laboratories
Authors: Scott E M , Baxter M S , Aitchison T C , Harkness D D , Cook G T
Published: July 2016

A proposal for an international collaborative study to investigate and assess the existence of inter-laboratory variability is discussed. The proposed study would be conducted over two years and would investigate each stage of the dating process in turn.
Radiocarbon Calibration Data for the 6th to the 8th Millennia BC
Authors: Kromer Bernd , Rhein Monika , Bruns Michael , Schoch-Fischer Hildegard , Münnich Karl Otto , Stuiver Minze , Becker Bernd
Published: July 2016

14C calibration curves derived from South German oak tree-ring series are presented. They cover the interval between 4400 and 7200 BC complementing existing data sets and extending them to older periods. The atmospheric 14C level before 6200 BC no longer follows the long-term sinusoidal trend fitted to the bristlecone data. This observation is supported by a tentative match of the Main 9 series.
Possibilities for Detailed Dating of Peat Bog Deposits
Authors: Punning Jaan-Mati , Ilomets Mati , Koff Tiiu
Published: July 2016

Geochemical and palynological data as well as radiocarbon dating were used to study the peat bog deposits in Niinsarre bog, northeast Estonia. The aim of this study was to establish criteria for determining a detailed chronology, which is important, for example, in studying paleoevents and historical monitoring. In some cases, we can use cumulative pollen data, as well as cumulative chemical and peat bulk density data.
Mesolithic and Neolithic Habitation of the Eastern Baltic
Authors: Liiva Arvi , Loze Ilze
Published: July 2016

In this paper we consider the radiocarbon chronology of Mesolithic and Neolithic settlement sites in the eastern Baltic region. Dating of wood and charcoal from Estonian and Latvian sites establishes the periods (early, middle and late) within these epochs. We present 90 14C dates, as yet unpublished in radiocarbon, produced by laboratories in Riga, Tallin, Tartu, Leningrad and Moscow.
Experiments on 14C Dating of Contaminated Bone Using Peptides Resulting from Enzymatic Cleavage of Collagen
Authors: Van Klinken Gert Jaap , Hedges Robert E. M.
Published: July 2016

We describe the use of collagenase to digest ancient collagen samples to obtain a peptide mixture, and the use of reversed-phase chromatography to purify these peptides. The isolation of the tripeptides glycine-proline-hydroxyproline and glycine-proline-alanine is especially encouraging.
Radiocarbon Dating of Bone Osteocalcin: Isolating and Characterizing a Non-Collagen Protein
Authors: Ajie Henry O. , Kaplan Isaac R. , Hauschka Peter V. , Kirner Donna , Slota Peter J. , Taylor R. E.
Published: July 2016

Osteocalcin, a non-collagen bone-matrix protein, has been examined as a possible source of autochthonous14C data in fossil bones where collagen has been seriously degraded. Extraction procedures for osteocalcin yield a well-characterized product that can be clearly distinguished from collagen. The Gla content indicates that osteocalcin is present in the fossil bones at levels similar to the range present in modern bone. However, it appears to be extracted primarily as proteolytic polypeptide fragments rather than as an intact protein. Concordant14C determinations are obtained on osteocalcin and gelatin extracts from the same bone when the collagen is relatively well preserved. However, increasing discordances in the14C values of the osteocalcin and gelatin fractions are associated with reduced concentrations of the gelatin extract in the bone.
Factorial Design Techniques Applied to Optimization of AMS Graphite Target Preparation
Authors: Verkouteren R. Michael , Klouda George A.
Published: July 2016

Many factors influence the preparation and quality of graphite targets for14C accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). We identified four factors (sample size, H2pressure, catalyst temperature and pretreatment time) as potentially critical, and investigated their effects on two particular characteristics: the integrated rates of CO2reduction (to graphite) and methane production. We used a 2-level fractional factorial experimental design and determined chemical reduction yield rates through manometry and partial pressure monitoring of residual gases by mass spectrometry.

Chemical reduction yield rates ranged from 0.2% to 6.2% per hour. With respect to their influence on percent yield rate, the factors we studied were ordered as: sample size > level of hydrogen > pretreatment of the catalyst. The temperature of the catalyst, and the sample size × hydrogen (2-factor) interaction, were only marginally influential. Other interactions did not appear to be significantly important. We estimated uncertainty in the order of influence and magnitudes of the effects by the Monte Carlo method of error propagation.

We observed significant methane production in only one experiment, which suggests that methane originates from indigenous carbon in untreated iron catalyst only in the presence of hydrogen and only at thermodynamically favorable temperatures. This exploratory investigation indicates that factorial design techniques are a useful means to investigate multivariate effects on the preparation and quality of AMS graphite targets.
A Minivial for Small-Sample 14C Dating
Authors: Kaihola Lauri , Kojola Hannu , Heinonen Aarne
Published: July 2016

We have designed a 0.3-ml Teflon minivial for 14C dating of small samples in a liquid scintillation counter. We use a special adapter of standard vial size to optimize the position of the vial with respect to the phototubes and to intercept the light path between them, thus reducing optical cross-talk. Better performance can be achieved by using customized vials than by diluting small samples for counting in large vials. We have achieved counting efficiencies up to 80% in 0.3-ml vials typically with 0.05 cpm background.
A New Data Acquisition System for the Groningen Counters
Authors: Van Der Plicht Johannes , Streurman H. J. , Schreuder G. R.
Published: July 2016

A new GPIB/IEEE-488 based data acquisition system has been built for the Groningen proportional counter setup, consisting of 11 counters. The IEEE bus is connected to an XT-compatible host PC. A versatile computer program controls the data entry; the same program can be used offline for final calculations.
Further Analysis of the International Intercomparison Study (ICS)
Authors: Scott E. M. , Cook G. T. , Harkness D. D. , Miller B. F. , Baxter M. S.
Published: July 2016

The major findings of the Intercomparison Study (ICS) have already been published (Scott, Long & Kra 1990), but a number of questions remain unresolved. We address here some issues of user and technical relevance, which include: 1) further investigation of the quoted errors and their relation to the perceived precision and accuracy, which is of interest to users of 14C dates; 2) the analysis of the known-age wood samples provided in Stages 2 and 3 of the ICS; 3) an investigation of the corresponding δ13C data base, of more technical relevance to laboratories.
14C in Austrian Wine and Vinegar
Authors: Schönhofer Franz
Published: July 2016

I analyzed wine from the vicinity of Vienna for 14C and 3H, using an ultra-low-level liquid scintillation counter. A series of certified samples from 1955 to 1987 was used to establish a calibration curve, which was applied successfully to a sample of apricot brandy. I used a simple extraction method to isolate acetic acid from vinegar, which I measured directly after mixture with a scintillation cocktail. A sample labeled as manufactured from wine contained too high a concentration of 14C, and thus may have been adulterated. Analytical- and technical-grade acetic acid also showed different concentrations of 14C, although it is unlikely that they are produced from organic material.
Geochronologic and Paleoclimatic Characterization of Quaternary Sediments in the Great Hungarian Plain
Authors: Hertelendi Ede , Sümegi Pål , Szöör Gyula
Published: July 2016

We reconstructed the climate of the Great Hungarian Plain between the years, 7–32 ka BP using a malacothermometer method. The reconstruction is based on seven Gastropoda taxa, for which optimal temperature and tolerance ranges have been determined. The temporal scales of the malacofaunal levels were calibrated with radiocarbon data. We compared our paleotemperature values with the temperature values of existing climatic curves and found the same climatic periods.
Radiocarbon Dating of Lime Fractions and Organic Material from Buildings
Authors: Van Strydonck Mark J. Y. , Van Der Borg Klaas , de Jong Arie F. M. , Keppens Eduard
Published: July 2016

We have dated carbonate fractions and organic material from different types of mortar from two sites in Belgium. We demonstrate the difficulties in obtaining good dates from carbonate samples. We also discuss the need for new types of dating material when the mortar comes from contaminated and disturbed sites, where even charcoal can yield aberrant results.
University of Bonn Natural Radiocarbon Measurements II
Authors: Scharpenseel H. W. , Pietig F. , Tamers M. A.
Published: July 2016

This list includes most of the dates produced from September 1967 to April 1968. The laboratory continues to use the benzene method of the previous date list (Radiocarbon, 1968, v. 10, p. 8–28); however, the counter and chemical treatment equipment were transferred to a field laboratory in order to avoid any possibility of contamination. Two new benzene synthesis lines of our own construction were added to the commercial unit. Their operation is excellent and over-all costs were nominal.
Ohio Wesleyan University Natural Radiocarbon Measurements IV
Authors: Ogden J. Gordon , Hay Ruth J.
Published: July 2016

The following list of dates is compiled from samples prepared since publication of our last date list (Radiocarbon, 7, v. 9, p 316–332) and includes determinations through June, 1968. Equipment and operating procedures are the same as described in OWU-III.
Geological Survey of Finland Radiocarbon Measurements IV
Authors: Hyyppä E. , Heikkinen A. , Toivonen V.
Published: July 2016

The following results represent measurements carried out since our 3rd date list was prepared. The entire CO2purification technique (Radiocarbon, 1962, v. 4, p. 81–83) has been changed to “wet purification.” No measurements of C12/C13ratios have been made.
U. S. Geological Survey Radiocarbon Dates X
Authors: Marsters Beverly , Spiker Elliott , Rubin Meyer
Published: July 2016

This list contains the results of measurements made during 1967 and 1968. Samples are counted in the form of acetylene gas, as previously, and ages computed on the basis of the Libby half-life, 5568 ± 30 yr. The error listed, which is always larger than the one-sigma statistical counting error commonly used, takes into account known uncertainty laboratory factors, but does not include external (field or atmospheric) variations.