Radiocarbon in 9th to 5th Century BC Tree-Ring Samples from the Ouban 1 Archaeological Site, Hiroshima, Japan

Abstract

In order to investigate the regional atmospheric radiocarbon offset, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C measurements were made on 5-yr increments of a Japanese wood sample dendrochronologically dated to 820–436 BC. The 14C data from the Japanese tree-ring samples were compared with the IntCal04 calibration curve (Reimer et al. 2004). In most parts, the differences between IntCal04 and 14C dates in the Japanese tree-ring samples were within experimental statistical errors. At around 680 BC, however, significant differences of up to 100 14C yr were observed. These differences may indicate either regional offsets in Japan or the short-term fluctuation of a subdecadal timescale in atmospheric 14C variations.