Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-04T19:52:35.606Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

An Improvement in Preparation of Mortar for Radiocarbon Dating

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

E Sonninen*
Affiliation:
Dating Laboratory, P.O. Box 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
H Jungner
Affiliation:
Dating Laboratory, P.O. Box 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected].
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

An error source in radiocarbon dating of ancient mortar is dead carbon of limestone mixed in the matrix. To eliminate the influence of limestone the difference in feasibility to react with acid between mortar and limestone is used. Since the rate of reaction depends on grain size use of a well-defined grain size can give a better separation between mortar and limestone. We present results for the grain size dependence of reaction rates for several mortar and limestone samples and discuss the application for dating.

Type
I. Becoming Better
Copyright
Copyright © The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

References

Folk, RL, Valastro, S Jr. 1976. Successful technique for dating of lime mortar by carbon-14. Journal of Field Archaeology 3:203–8.Google Scholar
Folk, RL, Valastro, S Jr. 1979. Dating of lime mortar by 14C. In: Berger, R, Suess, H, editors. Radiocarbon Dating. (Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference Los Angeles and La Jolla 1976). Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press. p 721–32.Google Scholar
Van Strydonck, M, Dupas, M, Dauchot-Dehon, M. 1983. Radiocarbon dating of old mortars. PACT Journal 8: 337–43.Google Scholar
Van Strydonck, M, Dupas, M, Dauchot-Dehon, M, Pachiaudi, Ch, Maréchal, J. 1986. The influence of contaminating (fossil) carbonate and the variations of δ13C in mortar dating. Radiocarbon 28(2A): 702–10.Google Scholar
Van Strydonck, MJY, Waldren, WH. 1990. Radiocarbon dating of lime burials. PACT Journal 29:403–14.Google Scholar