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PV: Plenarvorträge

PV II

PV II: Plenary Talk

Tuesday, April 4, 2000, 09:00–09:45, HS X

The Application of AMS Radiocarbon Measurements to Chronological Problems in Archaeology and Art Verification — •Timothy Jull — University of Arizona, NSF-Arizona AMS Facility, PO Box 210081, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

Accelerator mass spectrometry was first developed in 1977 and is now commonly used to measure various long-lived radionuclides such as 14C, 10Be, 26Al, 36Cl and 129I. These radionuclides are used for determining the age of geological and geophysical events. By far the most useful isotope is 14C. Radiocarbon dating is a tool of wide practical application to many archaeological and geochronological questions. It is also a well-known method for determining the age of art works and artifacts. We can obtain 14C dates on samples of <0.5mg carbon to precisions of +-40 uncalibrated radiocarbon years in about 30 minutes on one sample. A precision of +-20 radiocarbon years can be achieved with longer counting times and multiple targets. However, radiocarbon ages must be calibrated against known-age material such as tree rings, which may result in a wider estimate of actual age. At the University of Arizona, we have used AMS 14C to study many chronological problems, from the age of ancient parchment, the earliest arrival of man in the New World, the timing of climatic changes, forest fires and earthquakes or the infall times of meteorites. AMS radiocarbon dating is also very useful for art verification, since we can usually determine the age of a small sample of a valuable piece of art by taking a small sample of wood or canvas. Some examples of the wide applicability of these techniques will be discussed.