Radiocarbon Dating Research Articles

Abstract Flax plays an important role in art, especially for painters. Flax seeds are ground into linseed oil, which is used as binder for oil paints, and fibers are used to make linen canvas as a support for paintings. Because of the rapid growth of flax, linen canvas fiber and linseed oil are considered good candidates for the radiocarbon ( 14 C) dating of paintings. However, the time necessary to transform flax into a linen canvas must be estimated in order to determine the completion date of paintings. Based on the paintings of the French painter Pierre Soulages (1919–2022), who titled his works with the day on which he considered them finished, the time elapsed between completion of the painting and harvesting of the flax was determined for 25 canvases and 13 oil binders. For the canvases, three periods can be distinguished between 1956 and 1981 with durations of 5±1 years in the 1950s, 3±2 years in the 1960s and 11±3 years for the paintings from the 1970s–1980s. For the oil, the time elapsed between the date indicated by the artist and the 14 C calibrated date has a mean value of 3±2 years in the 1950s and 1960s and more than 15 years in the 1970s. These long time lags could be due to the massive change in flax processing, which was relocated, resulting in longer times between flax harvesting and canvas marketing. The determination of these time lags enables us to better interpret the 14 C dating results for the paintings.

Compared to the growing evidence of what drives methane seepage along upper continental slopes, our understanding of the factors controlling seepage in deep-marine environments is insufficient; this limitation is partly caused by the lack of constraints on the history of seepage in deep-sea settings. Here, we use uranium-thorium and radiocarbon dating of seep carbonates and bivalve shells sampled from cores taken in the Qiongdongnan Basin of the South China Sea (∼1700 m water depth). The carbonate and shell ages indicate two episodes of methane emission, one period during Marine Isotope Stage 5e (ca. 133−121 ka), and another period after the Last Glacial Maximum (ca. 18−3 ka). Modeling reveals that changes of bottom water temperature and sea level during periods of methane release had only limited influence on the extent of the hydrate stability zone, suggesting that—unlike for shallower water settings of the South China Sea—a change of bottom water temperature was not the main trigger of methane seepage. Considering that sedimentation rates during periods of seepage were significantly lower than during periods of dormancy, we put forward the new concept that a decline of sediment loading favored episodic seepage in the studied deep-sea setting. During periods of increased deposition, changes in gas pressure due to the gradual thickening of the gas hydrate stability zone resulted in the closure of fractures and, thus, reduced methane release. Vice versa, methane seepage increased when sedimentation rates declined, and hydraulic fracturing regained momentum. On Quaternary time scales, deepwater gas reservoirs may have been more sensitive to changes in sedimentation than they were to warming or sea level fall. The deep-sea reservoir of methane hydrate should, therefore, be considered separately when estimating the impact of hydrate stability on climate change.

Abstract This study presents paleomagnetic records from three 24 m‐long sediment cores from the neighboring lakes Bolshoye Shchuch'ye and Maloye Shchuch'ye, located about 10 km apart in the Polar Urals in northern Russia. The age model, based on radiocarbon dating and varve counting, shows that the sediment sequences reach back up to about 23.5 ka cal. BP. Mineral magnetic analyses indicate that the upper sedimentary sequence is not suitable for paleomagnetic analyses. Below about 6.7 m the paleosecular variation and relative paleointensity in the magnetic field in the period 23.6–14.8 ka cal. BP is reconstructed. The magnetostratigraphic results show very similar pattern in both lakes including a directional anomaly previously called the Bolshoye Shchuchye Event. This event is dated to the period 20.2–19.1 ka cal. BP accompanied with a low in relative paleointensity. Comparisons with sediment records from other regions suggest that this paleomagnetic feature represents the proposed Hilina Pali geomagnetic excursion, which is documented in unprecedented high resolution in the studied lakes. The reconstructed path of the virtual geomagnetic field during this event shows that the pole positions remain at latitudes higher than 55°N while describing a clockwise loop. According to varve counts the inclination deviation and virtual geomagnetic pole latitude deviation associated with Hilina Pali lasted 1135 ± 35 years and 1294 ± 44 years, respectively, in northern Russia.

Variation in the number of radiocarbon (14C) dates does not equal change in Neolithic population size over time

Few sites in the East European Plain have yielded detailed multi-proxy data for the late Weichselian to Holocene transition. This paper provides a comprehensive palaeobotanical analysis of the lower part of a core of biogenic deposits from the Serteya Mire in the western part of the East European Plain (Western Russia). The studied reservoir, is located in a kettle hole and is dated to the Allerød, as confirmed by radiocarbon dating of the basal peat layer. It offers a unique bioarchive of 13.5 m of organic deposits. Detailed palaeobotanical studies were carried out, including analyses of pollen, plant macrofossils, microcharcoal, diatoms, microbiomorphic, as well as geochemical and sedimentological analyses. The palaeoecological reconstructions are based on reliable depth-age model elaborated on a large 14 C dataset. This multi-proxy approach highlights the complex interactions between climate, vegetation and hydrological conditions in the period from ca. 13,050 to ca. 8200 cal. BP – that is, the Late Allerød, the Younger Dryas and Greenlandian stage of the Holocene (Early Holocene). In the Late Allerød, a wetland developed which evolved into a lake. The results of pollen analysis show a clear transition from the Weichselian to the Holocene and reveal significant floristic changes characterised by a dominance of pine in the Late Weichselian, followed by spruce and birch, and later by broadleaf trees in the Early Holocene. The presence of wild herbivores is documented by no-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) except between 10,000 and 8800 cal. BP. The fluctuations of the palaeolake water level, trophic state and pH were recorded in the diatom analysis results, which shows that periphyton and benthic diatoms are the dominant species. The lake ecosystem was regularly affected by fires, especially around 13,000–12,700 BP and from 8700 BP. Finally, this record contributes to broader reconstructions of postglacial ecosystem dynamics in lowland periglacial landscape.

The most widely accepted model for the colonization of Remote Oceania by Austronesian-speaking bearers of the Lapita complex ~ 3 ka (3000 years ago) links it to a broader Neolithic expansion from China, via Taiwan, ~ 4.5–6 ka. However, analyses of mitochondrial DNA haplogroup B4a1a1a, prevalent among Remote Oceanians today, have both supported and challenged this scenario. Here, we analyze 1364 B4a1a1 mitogenomes (234 novel) from 68 islands and compare age estimates with radiocarbon dates for colonization. We estimate the settlement of Remote Oceania ~ 3.2 [2.7; 3.75] ka, matching radiocarbon ages, and then extrapolate the age in Near Oceania. B4a1a1a arose around the northern coasts of New Guinea at least 6 ka, following Early Holocene dispersals from Asia. Technological advances (e.g., in sailing), fueled by interaction networks alongside the arrival of Late Holocene migrants from Taiwan or ISEA and putative environmental changes, likely triggered the expansion of Lapita colonists carrying B4a1a1a from New Guinea into Remote Oceania.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-20856-3.

This article presents an overview of radiocarbon dating with special reference to Indonesian manuscripts.It starts with a survey of the oldest known manuscripts from maritime Southeast Asia written on organicmaterials, dating from the 14th to the early 17th centuries. It then describes and presents the results ofthe radiocarbon dating of four manuscripts in Malay, Javanese, Arabic and Persian, held in LeidenUniversity Library, all written on dluwang, the Javanese name for a writing support made of beatenbark or tapa. We introduce the manuscripts which underwent radiocarbon dating, with the reasons fortheir selection; describe and illustrate the process of extracting the necessary samples; and present andanalyse the radiocarbon dating results. These four manuscripts in Leiden are then analysed along withthe renowned manuscript of a code of laws from Tanjung Tanah in Kerinci, Sumatra, published byUli Kozok in 2015. This manuscript, which is also written on beaten bark, has been radiocarbon datedto the late 14th or very early 15th century, making it by far the oldest known manuscript in the Malaylanguage.We then draw some conclusions about the potential value of radiocarbon dating for Indonesianmanuscripts. As an invasive technique, the objective of the dating study must be significant, asirreversible damage to ancient artefacts, however tiny, is never a decision to be taken lightly. Butresearchers are discovering that 14C data can often provide the key piece of evidence in otherwiseinsoluble debates. It is therefore hoped that the data and information presented in this article will helpother scholars considering making use of this technology by highlighting the various factors to be takeninto consideration, and by profiling the types of manuscripts most likely to benefit from this procedure.

Abstract The use of fire for the treatment of human remains in funerary rituals characterises Italian prehistory since the Neolithic, being the dominant funerary practice from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Roman period, with regional differences. New osteoarchaeological and radiometric data allow us to confirm the occasional use of fire as a transformative element for the body already in the Early Neolithic. During the excavation of the Early Neolithic settlement of Lugo di Grezzana in 2003 and 2005 (Fiorano Culture – province of Verona, Veneto, northeastern Italy), five pits were discovered, each containing burnt osteological remains. One pit, interpreted as an oven (ES 541 sector XVI), yielded numerous bones intermingled with abundant fragments of pottery and flint. Most of the bones were identified as non-human remains. However, the morphological examination revealed fragments of diaphyses with characteristics consistent with human bone. Subsequent histomorphological analysis confirmed the taxonomic identification of these fragments as belonging to the genus Homo and provided insights into the age distribution, indicating that they belonged to individuals spanning different age groups. The 14 C analysis of charcoal and bones suggests that the use of ovens dates from 5400 to 5000 cal BCE. A new radiocarbon date of a calcined human bone fragment has been placed between 5024 and 4845 cal BCE, indicating that the oven was likely reused as funerary structure during the final phase of the site use. This discovery has increased the number of recent findings of burnt human bones within Neolithic contexts in Italy, prompting us to reflect on the significance of their presence as possible early evidence of fire rituals involving the treatment of human remains in the Italian Peninsula.

The role of radiocarbon dating in Chinese archaeology has grown increasingly significant in recent decades. Thousands of archaeological radiocarbon dates have been published along with the development of multiple laboratories. However, radiocarbon dates were published in a fragmented manner, in different languages and limited to specific archaeological sites or topics. This fragmentation has created substantial barriers to cross-regional and interdisciplinary research at various temporal and spatial scales. While several datasets have been compiled, there is a lack of crucial details regarding the archaeological context, geographic information, and essential parameters of the radiocarbon data. This databank seeks to bridge this gap by providing the most up-to-date comprehensive radiocarbon database of Chinese archaeology. This effort involves a systematic review of the relevant literature and the revision of earlier datasets. A total number of 7,083 radiocarbon dates, accompanied by their detailed information, were collected. This databank offers a valuable resource for interdisciplinary research that aims to quantify human activity in prehistoric China, and it establishes a foundational framework for future data collections.

In our previous research, we observed a discrepancy between the apparent14C age of the carbon content of honey samples and their known age, date of the collection. The aforementioned studies demonstrated the existence of substantial old carbon intake, even older than five years, as evidenced by the outcomes of bomb-peak based radiocarbon dating. In order to ascertain the cause of the anomalies identified, a targeted nectar sample collection was conducted in Hungarian sampling areas. Consequently, the carbon isotope ratios (13C/12C and 14C/12C) of individual nectar samples from black locust, linden, phacelia, rapeseed and apple were determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Furthermore, 14CO₂ data from an international atmospheric background station were employed for comparative purposes. The presented results demonstrate that the aforementioned anomalies, previously detected in honey, can also be observed in nectar samples. It has been demonstrated that carbon deposits of up to three years old, and in some cases exceeding 60–70 years of age, can be identified in nectars. In addition to representing the first 14C/12C nectar results, the findings underscore the potential for older carbon stored in soil or plants to enter the food chain through nectar.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-20578-6.

Two major debates frame Arctic prehistory: the emergence of specialized maritime economies that support sedentism and growing socio-political complexity, and the role of these economies in the transition from Paleo-Inuit to Neo-Inuit traditions. This shift, originating in the Bering Strait, led to Thule Inuit dispersal across the Arctic, impacting Indigenous communities today. However, understanding these themes is still hampered by the challenges of building accurate site-based and regional-scale radiocarbon chronologies, influenced by driftwood use and marine reservoir effects. This paper presents a new high-resolution chronology for the key Ekven mortuary complex, located on the western shores of the Bering Strait, a site that defines the Old Bering Sea (OBS) phase, marking the earliest onset of the Neo-Inuit tradition. It is based on new direct radiocarbon dates of ancestral human remains and Bayesian modelling using OxCal, which considers available stratigraphic information, individual diets, previously dated faunal remains, and appropriate and species-specific ΔR values to account for marine reservoir effects. Our results suggest that the OBS emerged in this region at around 500 CE, which is later than some models predict, and indicate that the mortuary complex was used intensively until c. 1000 CE, after which few individuals were buried. The revised chronology also creates new opportunities to better integrate diverse cultural and palaeoecological proxies from across the Bering Strait, potentially clarifying the precise role of climatic and environmental factors at a key cultural juncture in Arctic prehistory.

Supplementary online data include Table 1 detailing the radiocarbon dates associated with Typical Comb Ware in Latvia in the research literature

ABSTRACTLarge old native trees are outstanding physical and ecological features in habitat remnants and landscapes in urban areas. Being able to estimate the age of these trees is important to our understanding of the potential impacts of environmental changes and their persistence in urban ecosystems. Here, we report on the ages of several native trees in forest fragments and within the urban landscapes in Singapore, estimated using radiocarbon dating. A Rubroshorea macroptera tree removed due to poor health and safety risk was estimated to be 215–511 years old. A Rubroshorea curtisii tree that had naturally fallen was estimated to be 211–372 years old. Climax forest tree species of Southeast Asia consistently appear to have lifespans of a few hundred years, even in forest fragments and urban landscapes in a city.

Abstract Northwest Serbia has long been recognized for its rare and abundant mineral resources. A rare source of fluvial tin cassiterite ore has been identified in streams along the southern slopes of Cer Mountain. This tin deposit was first exploited during the Bronze Age, around the mid-second millennium BCE (Before the Common Era). Several surface-level copper sources in the Podrinje–Valjevo mountain range were known, with evidence suggesting that their exploitation began as early as the fourth millennium BCE. Archaeological surveys and excavations have uncovered numerous Late Bronze Age necropolises, while evidence of only a single lowland settlement from this period has been found. However, research has also revealed a significant number of hillforts from the Transitional period, marking their first appearance in this region. Material culture, along with a series of calibrated radiocarbon dates, points to the presence of culture originating farther to the north in southern Pannonia. These hillforts were all strategically located on the highest mountain peaks and were fortified with massive walls and defensive ditches clear indicators of a substantial transformation in landscape use between approximately 1000 and 850 BCE. Further analysis using Light Detection and Ranging technology uncovered the immense scale and architectural complexity of the Cikote stronghold, a scale unprecedented in earlier periods. In addition, a Geographic Information System-based viewshed analysis of 14 hillforts and lowland settlements from this era demonstrated that all sites were visually connected to at least one neighbouring location. Some strongholds maintained visual links with multiple sites, with lines of sight extending over several dozen kilometres.

Abstract Land snail shells are usually avoided for radiocarbon dating, due to the possible presence of dead carbon, although measurements on certain small species can be reliable. However, terrestrial gastropods, which are often abundant and well preserved in favorable sedimentary contexts, may represent an important source of material for precise dating. In this study, the shell selection method and radiocarbon results are presented, based on about twenty dates, from well-known and reliable archaeological contexts mostly from the Languedoc (southern France) and covering different cultural periods of the Holocene. Chronological controls are provided by dates based on plant remains, archaeological artifacts and stratigraphy, as well as geomorphological and environmental interpretations. The results obtained based on gastropod shells show a good agreement with the expected dates. In some examples, the target period is quite large, making it difficult to determine the degree of accuracy. However, other tests give perfectly synchronous dates between botanical or archaeological material and mollusks. Species selection takes into account that terrestrial gastropods living in the midst of vegetation are less likely to ingest fossil carbon and are therefore better suited for dating, especially wetland species, Succinella oblonga and Vertigo pygmaea. These promising results show the potential of terrestrial shells for dating archaeological sequences when prevailing biological material such as charcoal is lacking or is unreliable.

In 2016, five fragments from a copy of “The Great Holy Family of Francis I” were brought to the Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences (CICS) for research and conservation/restoration. A comprehensive technical and material analysis was carried out to assist provenance studies. From the analysis of pigments, binder, additives, and canvas fibres alongside radiocarbon dating of the lead white pigment, oil binder, and canvas support, as well as the lead stable isotope study, it could be determined that, with high probability, the copy was created in Northern Europe between the late 16th century and the mid-17th century. During this period the original painting was initially displayed in Fontainebleau in the “Chapelle Haute” before being transferred in the early 17th century to the newly built “Cabinet des Peintures”, also in Fontainebleau, where it would probably have been more accessible for copying. Interestingly, the written sources describe a copy made during this period to replace the original in the “Chapelle Haute”, the location of which is currently not known. However, the different overall dimensions of the present copy speak against it, having been created to replace the original.

Ceramic technology emerged and spread in Saharan Africa between the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 10th millennium cal BP during the so-called African Humid Period. This innovation is linked to hunter-gatherer-fisher groups adapting to changing and increased ecological productivity. Several putative points of origin and the resulting corridors of diffusion of this technology have been suggested in the literature, but there is currently no consensus on whether ceramics in this region originated as a single or multiple independent episodes of innovation. Here, we synthesise the available radiocarbon evidence associated with the presence and absence of ceramic technology in Early Holocene Africa and statistically model spatio-temporal diffusion processes using different combinations of putative origin points. The result of our model comparison provides support for either a dual or triple-origin model, with core areas potentially in the Central Sahara, Nile Valley and West Africa. These findings refine current debates on early pottery innovation, highlighting the role of localized technological choices, environmental factors and interregional interactions in shaping its spread.

Luminescence and radiocarbon dating the Naisiusiu Beds type section and timing of the Middle Stone Age/Later Stone Age transition at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania.

Abstract Paleoseismic data on the timing of ground‐rupturing earthquakes can help identify the sources of historical earthquakes and define the extent of seismic rupture gaps. The Lijiang‐Xiaojinhe fault (LXF) is a left‐lateral strike‐slip fault that stretches 380 km along the southeastern margin of the Tibet Plateau, passing through the densely populated urban area of Lijiang City. In this study, we excavated four paleoseismic trenches at the Shuijing and Haitang sites along the southwestern section of the LXF and identified eight earthquakes over the past 43 Kyr through detailed trench logging and radiocarbon dating. The average recurrence interval (RI) for these eight events is 6.0 ± 4.8 Kyr, with a coefficient of variation (COV) of 0.80, indicating that earthquake recurrence is weakly periodic. In contrast, the average RI for the last five events is 3.1 ± 2.3 Kyr, with a COV of 0.72, indicating a stronger periodic behavior. Analyzing historical earthquake documents revealed that the most recent event corresponds to the M 6.8 Jianchuan earthquake in 1751 and may have involved a joint rupture along the LXF and the Zhongdian‐Longpan‐Qiaohou fault. Comparison with other sites along the LXF limits the extent of a seismic rupture gap to ∼70 km long between Lijiang and Ninglang. This gap has not experienced earthquakes for ∼2,000 years and accumulated a coseismic slip of ∼4.3 m, impending a large earthquake of Mw 7.2–7.6. Consequently, Lijiang City is currently at high risk of a large earthquake.

Abstract Anthropogenic warming in the Arctic has caused accelerated permafrost thaw, leading to the export of relict organic carbon (OC) to the atmosphere and surrounding depositional environments. Past episodes of warmth exceeding pre‐industrial temperatures, such as the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM; 11–8 ka at our study site), may serve as an analog for how the Arctic carbon cycle responds to ongoing warming. Here, we reconstructed accumulation rates of three OC endmembers (aquatic biomass, postglacial soil, and MIS 5 soil) in downcore sediments from Lake CF8, northeastern Baffin Island, during the 12.4 kyr since local deglaciation. We characterized endmembers and sediment mixtures using Ramped Pyrolysis/Oxidation (RPO), radiocarbon ( 14 C) age offsets between bulk sediment and macrofossils, and stable carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 C). We then modeled endmember contributions to the lake sediments using MixSIAR. RPO revealed similar patterns between OC volatilization and pyrolysis temperature indicating minimal OC degradation between endmembers and mixtures. MixSIAR‐derived endmember accumulation rates showed that mean soil‐derived OC inputs to Lake CF8 were proportionally greatest between 11.9 and 9.0 ka (5.2 ± 1.9 g OC/m 2 /yr), 1.5 times greater than the rest of the record (3.4 ± 1.5 g OC/m 2 /yr). This period coincided with regional rapid warming and peak Holocene summer temperatures. Since modern Arctic temperatures have already warmed by 2–3°C, similar to the HTM, modern regional permafrost OC may be mobilized at the same rates that we estimate for that period.