Radiocarbon Dating Bone Samples Recovered from Gravel Sites
Author(s): Fiona Brock, Bronk Ramsey, Thomas Higham
A range of pre-screening criteria which could be used on-site, in museums, or the laboratory were tested to determine which, if any, could be used to screen those suitable for radiocarbon dating prior to the time-consuming and costly collagen extraction pre-treatment chemistry. Nearly 300 bones were analysed from 12 sites across southern England. The most successful screening method applied was the measurement of whole bone percent nitrogen. This method was consistently the most reliable predictor of suitability for radiocarbon dating. No other pre-screening criterion, or combination or criteria, showed a correlation with collagen preservation, either within the entire study or datasets from individual archaeological sites.
- Report Number:
- 30/2007
- Series:
- Research Department Reports
- Pages:
- 26
- Keywords:
- Animal Bone Radiocarbon Dating
