[OR_Archaeology] Dating: The Radiocarbon Way

[Meara Butler]

Apologies as always for the necessity of cross-posting...

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Friends and colleagues: The concept of radiocarbon dating is fairly simple,
but the process that a radiocarbon laboratory goes through is quite
detailed, careful and complex.  You can follow a submitted sample through
the laboratory process (in this case using accelerator mass spectrometry, or
AMS) in *Dating: The Radiocarbon Way*, the latest video feature on our
nonprofit streaming-media Web site, *The Archaeology Channel* (
http://www.archaeologychannel.org).



What is carbon 14?  What is a radiocarbon date?  Is it the same as a
calendar date?  What does radiocarbon dating measure and why does it take a
long time?  How does an accelerator mass spectrometer measure carbon
isotopes?  What can you date with radiocarbon?  This film features Dr.
Christine Prior of GNS Science’s Rafter Radiocarbon Laboratory in Lower Hutt,
New Zealand, explaining how AMS radiocarbon dating is done at their lab.
Dr. Prior explains the principles of radiometric dating and presents an
example from a real client.



This and other programs are available on TAC for your use and enjoyment.  We
urge you to support this public service by participating in our Membership (
http://www.archaeologychannel.org/member.html) and Underwriting (
http://www.archaeologychannel.org/sponsor.shtml) programs.  Only with your
help can we continue and enhance our nonprofit public-education and
visitor-supported programming.  We also welcome new content partners as we
reach out to the world community.



Please forward this message to others who may be interested.



Richard M. Pettigrew, Ph.D., RPA
President and Executive Director
Archaeological Legacy Institute
http://www.archaeologychannel.org



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 Meara Butler

Archaeological Legacy Institute ListServe Coordinator
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