Radiocarbon Dating
A widely used method for determining the age of organic materials.
What is Radiocarbon Dating?
Radiocarbon dating is a widely used method for determining the age of organic materials up to about 50,000 years old. It works by measuring the known decay of carbon-14 isotopes in organic materials. The method has been confirmed by multiple, independent lines of evidence.
Lines of Evidence
| Item | Measured Age | Source | Other Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree Rings | Up to ~14,000 years old | Reimer et al. (2013) | Confirmed by dendrochronology (tree rings). Used to calibrate radiocarbon decay standards. |
| Hiroshima bomb victim bone | ~70 years old (as of 2015) | Kramer et al. (2015) | Confirmed by known historical event (1945 AD). |
| Shroud of Turin | ~700 years old | Damon et al. (1989) | Confirmed by accelerator mass spectrometry from three independent laboratories and historical art analysis of the weave and style of the shroud. |
| Dead Sea Scrolls | ~2,000-2,300 years old | Libby et al. (1950); Bonani et al. (1992) | Confirmed by paleography, archeology, and accelerator mass spectrometry. |
| Stonehenge Bones | ~4,400 years old | Parker Pearson et al. (2007) | Confirmed by archaeology, stratigraphy, and typological dating of artifacts. Multiple phases of construction dated. |
| Ötzi the Iceman | ~5,300 years old | Bonani et al. (1994) | Confirmed by typological dating of artifacts. Multiple samples (tissue, bone, grass) dated for cross-verification. |
| Çatalhöyük | ~8,300-7,400 years old | Bayliss et al. (2015) | Confirmed by stratigraphy, artifact typology, and architectural analysis. 450+ radiocarbon dates combined with Bayesian statistical modeling. |
| Kennewick Man | ~9,000 years old | Taylor et al. (2001) | Confirmed by stratigraphic evidence and morphological studies. Multiple samples dated for verification. |
| Paisley Caves Coprolites | ~14,300 years old | Gilbert et al. (2008) | Confirmed by stratigraphic analysis, DNA sequencing, and accelerator mass spectrometry of associated artifacts. |
| Chauvet Cave paintings | ~30,000-32,000 years old | Valladas et al. (2001) | Confirmed by uranium dating of cave formations, artwork style analysis, and dating of animal bones found in the cave. |
| Lake Mungo remains | ~40,000 years old | Bowler et al. (2003) | Confirmed by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of surrounding sediments, and stratigraphy. |