Building a Radiocarbon Chronology

Radiocarbon dating is the most accurate and precise scientific method for producing an absolute chronology. The major challenge is obtaining carbon-containing samples from a context in which the material for dating is in situ, and that the date relates to the event of interest. The key to identifying such contexts is the use of micro-archaeological tools on-site during the excavation. After careful documentation of context and sample cleanliness, AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) analysis should provide a reliable date. If these samples provide an unexpected date, this “surprising” information may well point to a new and important insight into the timing of a past event.