Radiocarbon dating

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  • 放射性炭素年代測定法

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Application of cosmogenic isotopes are classified into three categories; (1) as recording of fluctuations in cosmic-ray intensities, (2) as potential dating tools and (3) as tracers. The present paper reviews on essential problems to understand radiocarbon ages and on the applications of ^<14>C-dating to various fields such as geology, sedimentology, pedology, geochemistry, palynology, climatology, dendrochronology, glaciology, archeology, anthropology and so on. There are simple but essential requirements for using radiocarbon for dating; (a) Knowledge of the initial concentration of ^<14>C, (b) that the sample analysed remains closed to entry of loss of carbonaceous matter, so removal of contamination, pretreatment of purification of sample, is the most important and unavoidable process prior to dating to expect the ^<14>C precise age, (c) considering the meaning of ages for specific sample carbon in relation to the event examined, and (d) understanding "Radiocarbon Age" routinely calculated not by using the true half-life of 5,730 yr. but by using 5,570 yr. In recent years a direct ultrasensitive measuring method, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), has made practical the natural-level ^<14>C, ^<10>Be and ^<36>Cl determination with using only milligram amount of elements and with counting numbers of the isotope ion itself only for a few hours. This technique offers very specific advantage and possibilities of ^<14>C-dating even for a limited obtainable amount less than 5 mg as C of carbonaceous samples, resulting not only in expanding fields of applications but also in prolonging obtainable age limits up to about 60,000 yr. BP.

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