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. Many creationists claim that radiocarbon dating is inaccurate, but this is not the case. The method has been confirmed by multiple, independent lines of evidence.
Core Issue:
The Bible suggests that the earth is only a few thousand years old, yet radiocarbon dating suggests that organic materials are much older.
Lines of Evidence
| Item | Measured Age | Source Study | 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 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 (Neolithic settlement) | ~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 for high-precision chronology. |
| Kennewick Man (ancient skeleton) | ~9,000 years old | Taylor et al. (2001) | Confirmed by stratigraphic evidence and morphological studies. Multiple samples dated for verification. |
| Paisley Caves Coprolites (oldest human DNA in North America) | ~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 (oldest human remains) | ~40,000 years old | Bowler et al. (2003) | Confirmed by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of surrounding sediments, and stratigraphy. |