Abstract
The impact of cyclododecane on the carbon-14 dating of archaeological materials was investigated using accelerator mass spectrometry. Two conservation-grade and two laboratorygrade cyclododecane samples were determined to be radiocarbon-free, indicating that the chemical is synthesized from petroleum-derived, rather than modern hydrocarbon sources. Radiocarbon dating of modern and archaeological gourd rind samples that were treated with cyclododecane produced the same results as for untreated samples. While the study does not demonstrate that residues are absent from cyclododecane-treated artifacts, it showed that the stringent sample cleaning protocols specifically designed to remove both burial and laboratory contaminants were sufficient to reduce cyclododecane residues to levels that would not interfere with radiocarbon dating.
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