University of Michigan Radiocarbon Dates VIII

Abstract

The following is a list of dates obtained since the time of the compilation of List VII in December 1961. The method is essentially the same as that used for the work described in the previous list. Two CO2-CS2 Geiger counter systems are used. The equipment and counting technique have been described elsewhere (Crane, 1961a, 1961b). The dates and the estimates of error in this list follow the practice recommended by the International Radiocarbon Dating Conference of 1962, in that (a) dates are computed on the basis of a half life of 5568 years, (b) a.d. 1950 is used as the zero of the age scale and (c) the errors quoted are the standard deviations obtained from the numbers of counts only. In all previous Michigan date lists we have quoted errors at least twice as great as the statistical errors of counting, in order to take account of other errors in the over-all process. If the reader wishes to obtain a standard deviation figure which will allow ample room for the many other sources of error in the dating process, we suggest he double the figures that are given in this list. The procedures for converting the dates to the more recent half life scale and to a scale having its zero at any time other than 1950 need not be given here as they have been covered in this journal and elsewhere. Where there is no comment, it is because the submitter of the sample had none to make.