Construction of a curve

This figure is directly based on the proportion of radiocarbon found in the sample. It is calculated on the assumption that the atmospheric radiocarbon concentration has always been the same as it was in and that the half-life of radiocarbon is calibration.

To give an example if a sample is found to have a radiocarbon concentration exactly half of that for material which was modern in the radiocarbon measurement would be reported as BP.

In order to see what a radiocarbon determination means in terms of a true age we need to know how the atmospheric concentration has changed with time. Many types of tree reliably lay down one tree ring every year. The wood in these rings once laid down remains unchanged during the life of the tree. This is very useful as a record of the radiocarbon concentration in the past. If we have a tree that is years old we can measure the radiocarbon in the rings and see what radiocarbon concentration corresponds to each calendar year.

How tree rings are used as a radiocarbon record

Using very calibration trees such as the Bristlecone Pines in the western U. To extend this method further we must use the fact that tree ring widths vary from year to year with changing weather patterns. By using these widths, it is possible to compare the tree rings in a dead tree to those in a tree that is still growing in the same region. By using dead trees of different but overlapping dating, you can build up a library of tree rings of different calendar ages. This has now been done for Bristlecone Pines in radiocarbon U.

A and waterlogged Oaks in Ireland and Germany, and Kauri in New Zealand to provide records extending back over the last 14, years.

Calibration of Carbon 14 Dating Results

For older periods we are able to use other records of with idependent age control to tell calibration about how radiocarbon changed in the past. The information from measurements on tree rings and other samples of known click to see more including speleothems, marine corals and samples radiocarbon sedimentary records with independent dating are all compiled into calibration curves by link IntCal group.

For more detail see the OxCal manual. Calibration of radiocarbon determinations is in principle very simple. If you have a radiocarbon measurement on a sample, you can try to find a tree ring with the same proportion of radiocarbon.

Calibration of Marine Samples

Since the calendar age of the tree rings is known, this radiocarbon tells you calibration age of your sample. The pair of blue curves show the radiocarbon measurements on the tree rings plus and minus one standard deviation and the red curve on the left indicates the radiocarbon concentration in the sample. The grey histogram shows possible ages for the sample the higher the histogram the more likely that age is. The results of calibration are often given as an age range.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of radiocarbon calibration conventions but a brief guide.

Why radiocarbon measurements are not true calendar ages

The first indicates the proportion of radiocarbon atoms in the sample as compared to samples modern in The second is directly derived from this on radiocarbon assumption that the half-life of radiocarbon is years and the amount of radiocarbon in the atmosphere dating been constant.

The cal prefix indicates that the dates are the result of radiocarbon calibration using tree ring data. These values should correspond exactly to normal historical years BC and AD. The term cal BP means the number of years before and can be directly compared to calendar years. This method will tell you the dating in which the radiocarbon concentration of tree rings is within two standard deviations of your measurement e.

This requires a computer since the calculations are more complicated. There are a number of calibration programs available including the dating program OxCal and CALIB, which runs on several platforms including an online version server at Belfast.