ipl-logo

How Do Archaeologists Use Radiocarbon Dating In Archaeology

1592 Words7 Pages

Archaeology is the study of the human past through the examination of on the material remains left behind by past cultures and societies. (Sutton 2013:3) This academic discipline uses material remains from past cultures and societies to hypothesize how human life was like back in ancient times. For archaeologists, they examine the material remains from archaeological sites so they can learn about the past human behaviors of the people who used to live in the same area thousands of years ago. (Sutton 2013:3) One of the many questions archaeologists try to answer in their research is that how does human behavior change over time and does this change reflect of the material evidence. To solve this dilemma, archaeologists construct a chronology …show more content…

(Taylor and Bar-Yosef 2014:12) This dating technique is known as Radiocarbon dating. The following essay examines the role Radiocarbon Dating has in chronology, the step by step process of Radiocarbon Dating, the disadvantages of using Radiocarbon Dating, and several examples how archaeologists use Radiocarbon Dating to determine the actual date of the material remains in their research. To examine the role Radiocarbon Dating has played in archaeology, we must first discuss what Radiocarbon Dating is as a dating technique. Radiocarbon Dating otherwise known as Carbon – 14 dating is defined as a dating technique which the amount of radiocarbon (14C) within an organic sample is measured and used to determine how long ago a specimen died. (Sutton 2013:163) Dating techniques or dating methodology is used in archaeology to determine chronology of any …show more content…

Radiocarbon Dating has its own disadvantages which limit how archaeologists determine the chronology of archaeological sites and the remains discovered within these sites. For example, Radiocarbon Dating can only look at remains that were once alive. (Sutter 2013:163) Some of these remains include animal bones, shells, charcoal, skin, leather, wood, grass, and seeds. (Sutter 2013:163) These organic remains however, must be persevered under the right conditions for a radiocarbon analysis. Remains discovered in several archaeological sites might show high levels of soil acidity. (Sutter 2013:163) High levels of soil acidity will cause damage to the organic remains and these remains cannot be used as samples for radiocarbon analysis. (Sutter 2013:163) Another example which features one of the disadvantages while using Radiocarbon Dating is that this dating technique is only accurate for dates ranging from 300 to 50,000 years. (Sutton 2013:163) This chronometric technique is only useful to identify objects from early modern human history and human prehistory. One example which features the use Radiocarbon Dating to determine an estimated age range of an archaeological find is in Nick Porch’s and Peter Kershaw’s article Comparative AMS 14C Dating of Plant Macrofossils, Beetles and Pollen Preparations. This article features a

Show More
Related

Sutton Hoo Facts

1598 Words | 7 Pages

The Field Research Procedure this paper focuses on covers excavations between 1983 and 1993 by Martin Carver. The Field Research Procedure assumes that archaeological data cannot be discovered but are defined and collected as a result of archaeologically informed choice. Data are variables which are chosen

Read More

Entombed Warriors Essay

571 Words | 3 Pages

By looking at the Entombed Warriors of Xian, it is clear that relative dating would of been used to determine ‘Tomb 1’, ‘Tomb 2’, and ‘Tomb 3’ are all from the same era. A another example is the Roman Catacombs, Historians and Archeologists have used relative dating when determining the chronological timeline of ancient Rome. This is

Read More

Essay On Primates And The Journey To Fossilization

593 Words | 3 Pages

It will explain that relative dating only provides an estimate of the age of a fossil by relating it to event that occurred in the same location (Stanford 230). Relative dating utilizes the principles of original horizontality--which states that sediments are laid horizontally, lateral continuity--explains that rocks extend for certain distances , superposition--states that the horizontal layers of sediment or strata, accumulate with time and that oldest layers can be found at the bottom and the newer layers are on the surface, and more (The Smithsonian Institution). The principles are used with methods such as stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, fluorine analysis, and more (O’Neil). The second dating technique is absolute dating or chronometric dating, this method is primarily conducted in a laboratory, and it is based on the decay of radioactive elements (The Smithsonian Institution). This techniques includes methods such as dendrochronology, radiocarbon dating, potassium-argon dating, and more (O’Neil).

Read More

Analysis Of Advancements And Ethical Considerations In Paleotological Research

2830 Words | 12 Pages

Methodology in Paleontological Research A. Fieldwork: In the rugged landscapes of the Badlands or the remote expanses of the Gobi Desert, paleontologists embark on exhilarating journeys of discovery, meticulously excavating fossils that hold the secrets of ancient life. Fieldwork in paleontology is a blend of science, art, and adventure. Dr. Sarah Johnson's pioneering work in the rugged Badlands of South Dakota illustrates the meticulous nature of excavation. Her team employs systematic grid patterns and stratigraphic analysis to carefully unearth fossils, preserving valuable contextual information.

Read More

Middle Range Theory Essay

755 Words | 4 Pages

Once an archaeologist has evidence middle range theory can be used to determine how found data can be linked to the past from the present. Middle range theory is crucial to archaeologists making their interpretations. With just the data alone there is not enough information for archaeologists to make assumptions. Middle range theory is the main missing piece to tie together the evidence from the past to the present. Johnson explains middle range theory, "Such propositions are called middle-range by Binford because they link, in his words, statics to dynamics, and particular observations of the archaeological record to general theories about the past” (Johnson, p.52).

Read More

Human Bones Archeology

465 Words | 2 Pages

Archaeology epitomises history, what is excavated from the ground tells numerous stories of the ancient past. The analyses of human bones allows a profusion of knowledge, evidence and understanding of characteristics of the past and can cast light on people that once lived. The attributes of an individual may it be sex or age can transcend into the remains telling the story to the archaeologist. By identifying the age of the individual at the time of death can help archaeologists explore further the average life span at that time. The health state of the bones and teeth will continue the story, such as looking at diseases and infections, cause of death or furthermore the diet of the individual, all of which will cast light of the people of the past, thus showing rare or common infections and diseases that might have cause a raise in the proportion of deaths over a period of time and having evidence to show how this was treated pre anti-biotics or showing the food that the people of the past ate.

Read More

Archeology Research Paper

536 Words | 3 Pages

After an analysis of the material begins in a laboratory. Archeologist would have to write an archeological record in the context to which they found the artifact. Archeologist would have to write how they found it to write it. Furthermore, the surface of the sediments beneath the occupation layer is uncovered and cleaned, to look at the color of the soil to see if there is a pit or postholes. After the analysis of the material

Read More

Big Bang Theory Vs Old Earth View

914 Words | 4 Pages

To determine the age of the earth scientist often dates the rocks, a problem with this is that all the oldest rocks have been destroyed in when the plates where moving. Old earth creationist believe that the earth was formed at the same time as all the other planets in our solar system so they have begun dating moon rocks, and meteorites. Meteorites are used a lot because there are more that date further back than rocks found on earth. Recently a scientist dated a zircon crystal found on earth back to 4.3 billion years old. Evolution and the Big Bang theory is also a key factor in determining the age of the earth from this view point.

Read More

Neolithic Vs Paleolithic Art

1198 Words | 5 Pages

Both the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages were marvelous time periods, but between these two eras, there were marked differences and

Read More

Fossilized Human Culture

192 Words | 1 Pages

Archaeologists and anthropologists gain the majority of the information about ancient societies from artifacts that have been recovered from the sites of these past civilizations. Items such as tools and weapons give insight into the daily life and routines of early humans, and pottery, buildings, and art show what type of culture would have been practiced. Fossilized human remains can reveal the appearance, diet, practices of ancient humans. The combination of all these artifacts can give vital insight into the military and social structures of these societies. In addition to studying artifacts, archaeologists and anthropologists utilize radiocarbon dating and thermoluminescence dating to determine the age of the recovered fossils and artifacts.

Read More

Neolithic Revolution Significance

3359 Words | 14 Pages

The Neolithic Revolution is one of the greatest lifestyle transformations to ever occur. For years, historians from the archeology, anthropology, and economy fields have discussed how and why the Neolithic time period came into existence. In particular, it is a phenomenon that has been the subject of interest since the first ancient DNA studies completed in the 1980s (Kaestle and Horsburgh 2002). The emergence of DNA studies allowed archeologists to study the past in ways that had never previously been done before. The extraction of DNA from more recent human remains gave way to the idea that the same could be done to ancient remains.

Read More

Rongorongo Scripts Mystery

1448 Words | 6 Pages

He claimed that as many as forty different symbols could be correlated between the two different scripts. The idea seems plausible until radiocarbon dating found that the Indus Valley civilization took place between about 3,300 and 1,900 BC. This finding proved that the two civilizations were chronologically separated by more than 2,000 years (Ancient

Read More

Essay On Archaeobotany

1469 Words | 6 Pages

Micro remains are often a lot smaller in size than that of the macro remains, micro remains are isotopes, diatoms, pollens and phytoliths (Thomas, 1996). Macro remains and micro remains can be said to use different types of archaeological enquiry techniques however similar techniques with a similar application can be used, thus for the purpose of this essay they shall be used interchangeably together. Recovery techniques are the basis of acrheobotony, without techniques to

Read More

The Importance Of Context In Archaeology

1172 Words | 5 Pages

Absolute/chronometric dating is the system of dating in years through historical record. Thomsen’s Dating is an aging or dating system created by an archaeologist of the last name Thomsen. Thomsen’s dating was important to archeology in dating artifacts of prehistory for context and displaying the artifacts once they had been discovered. The three ages included in Thomsen’s Dating are the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and the Iron Age.

Read More

Archaeology: The History Of Archaeology

1556 Words | 7 Pages

Like General Pitt-Rivers, Flinders Petrie focused on meticulous excavation procedures, total collection and description of each and every artefact, management of site without direct involvement in the manual labour of the excavation, use of seriation on pottery types and stratigraphy, as well as publicising his excavation results from Egypt and Palestine (Fredheim 2012; Ramsey 2004; Renfrew & Bahn 2000). Additionally, both General Pitt-Rivers and Flinders Petrie were influenced by ethnographic, evolutionary, nationalist and colonist ideologies, but it is suggested that this framework of thought influenced many of their revolutionary interpretative techniques (Gamble 2001; Ramsey 2004). Furthermore, Flinders Petrie continued to refine accuracy of artefact documentation and advance General Pitt-Rivers use of stratigraphy by applying it to remove layer by layer (Ramsey 2004; Renfrew & Bahn 2000). Additionally, Petrie is recognised for championing a new technique of relative dating called contextual seriation to examine the duration if different artefact styles that allocate each type to a cultural time period (Ramsey 2004; Renfrew & Bahn 2000). Finally, the work of Flinders Petrie and General Pitt-Rivers greatly influenced later

Read More

More about How Do Archaeologists Use Radiocarbon Dating In Archaeology

Related Topics

Open Document