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Age Reporting of Very Old Samples

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Adam Walanus  and
Mieczysław F Pazdur
Adam Walanus
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics, Silesian Technical University, ul Krzywoustego 2, PL-44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Mieczysław F Pazdur
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics, Silesian Technical University, ul Krzywoustego 2, PL-44-100 Gliwice, Poland
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Abstract

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Problems of the statistical interpretation of radiocarbon age measurements of old samples are discussed, based on the notion of fiducial probability distribution. A probability density function of age has been given. A detailed discussion of different facets of the probability distribution of age has led us to the confirmation of the use of 2σ as the best limiting value between the regions of finite and infinite dates. It has been proposed to make use of the principle of constant probability P = 0.68 in the regions of both finite and infinite ages instead of the criterion N + kσ.

Type
Research Article
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , 1980 , pp. 1021 - 1027
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

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