Radiocarbon Dating of Calcined Bones
Insights from Combustion Experiments Under Natural Conditions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9245012 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Antoine Zazzo (0000-0001-7608-2207), Jean-François Saliège, Matthieu Lebon (0000-0003-4970-1230), Sébastien Lepetz, C Moreau (0000-0002-2876-6476) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue | 3-4 |
| Pages | 855-866 |
| Publication date | 2012-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Radiocarbon (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-8222 • E-ISSN: 1945-5755 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0033822200047500 |
| OpenAlex | W2100628469 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 48 |
| References cited | 25 |
Radiocarbon dating of the carbonate remaining in calcined bones is widely regarded as a viable alternative to date skeletal remains in situations where collagen is no longer present. However, anomalously low δ 13 C values measured in calcined bones prompted questions about the origin of the carbon used for dating. The goal of this study was to quantify the magnitude of carbon isotope exchange between bone carbonate and environmental CO 2 for bones calcined under natural conditions. Four archaeological bones ranging in age between the Neolithic and the Medieval period were combusted on a separate open fire for up to 4 hr and subsamples of calcined bones were taken every hour. All the bones experienced a significant increase in IRSF values and decrease in carbonate content and δ 13 C values. 14 C ages measured in the carbonate fraction of well-calcined bones indicate that 67 ± 3% to 91 ± 8% of the carbon present in bone carbonate was replaced by carbon from the atmosphere of combustion. This finding confirms previous results obtained under laboratory conditions and has serious implications for 14 C dating of calcined bones found in archaeological contexts. The 14 C age obtained on a calcined bone will only reflect the true age of the bone sample if the age difference between the bone and the charcoal can be neglected. Our results show also that δ 13 C values of calcined bones can be used to estimate the degree of C exchange and control for post-burial diagenetic alteration
Calcination · Carbon fibers · Carbonate · Charcoal · Combustion · Composite material · Diagenesis · Geochemistry · Isotopes of carbon · Metallurgy · Mineralogy · Radiocarbon dating · Total organic carbon · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Chemistry · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Materials Science · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Catalysis · Environmental Chemistry · Geology · Paleontology
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| Unique citing works | 48 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3,43 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2026 (15) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 42 |