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AMS radiocarbon dating of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic bone in the British Isles: improved reliability using ultrafiltration
Author(s) -
Jacobi R. M.,
Higham T. F. G.,
Ramsey C. Bronk
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of quaternary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.142
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-1417
pISSN - 0267-8179
DOI - 10.1002/jqs.1037
Subject(s) - radiocarbon dating , archaeology , accelerator mass spectrometry , chronology , geology , ultrafiltration (renal) , history , chemistry , chromatography
Recent research at the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU) has shown that ultrafiltration of gelatin from archaeological bone can, in many instances, remove low molecular weight contaminants. These can sometimes be of a different radiocarbon age and, unless removed, may severely influence results, particularly when dating bones greater than two to three half‐lives of 14 C. In this study this methodology is applied to samples of Late Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic age from the British Isles. In many instances the results of redating invite serious reconsideration of the chronology for these periods. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.