30 Years of Work Produces New Radio-Carbon Calibration Curve

This is important.

A new curve -- called INTCAL09-- extends the radiocarbon calibration back 50,000 years, providing improved numbers for the earlier times.

Science Daily reports the results initially published in the journal Radiocarbon.

Dr Ron Reimer of the Queen's School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology said: "The new radiocarbon calibration curve will be used worldwide by archaeologists and earth scientists to convert radiocarbon ages into a meaningful time scale comparable to historical dates or other estimates of calendar age.

"It is significant because this agreed calibration curve now extends over the entire normal range of radiocarbon dating, up to 50,000 years before today. Comparisons of the new curve to ice-core or other climate archives will provide information about changes in solar activity and ocean circulation."

It has taken nearly 30 years for researchers to produce a calibration curve this far back in time.

Interesting Related Articles:

"Carbon Dating - What Is It And How Does It Work?" from All About Archeology

Accuracy of Radiocarbon Dating By John Stockwell

Wikipedia, Radiocarbon Dating