Radiocarbon Dating Caribou Antler and Bone: Are They Different?
ABSTRACT. Old archaeological radiocarbon dating lore has it that caribou antler and bone give different dating results, and that for some fundamental reason antler is unreliable as a dating material. We tested this idea by measuring radiocarbon concentrations in the bone and antler of two caribou (o...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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2002
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.584.2364 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic56-3-262.pdf |
| Summary: | ABSTRACT. Old archaeological radiocarbon dating lore has it that caribou antler and bone give different dating results, and that for some fundamental reason antler is unreliable as a dating material. We tested this idea by measuring radiocarbon concentrations in the bone and antler of two caribou (one recent, one ancient) for which the antler was still attached to the cranium. No significant differences were found. Thus, it seems that this old myth is groundless. Key words: radiocarbon dating, caribou, antler RÉSUMÉ. Selon de vieux dires, la radiodatation archéologique des bois et des os du renne donnerait des résultats différents et, pour une raison fondamentale, les bois ne représenteraient pas un matériau fiable pour la radiodatation. On a testé cette idée en mesurant les concentrations de radiocarbone dans les os et les bois de deux rennes (l’un mort récemment, l’autre il y a longtemps), où les bois étaient encore rattachés au crâne. On n’a pas trouvé de différence notable, ce qui semblerait signifier que l’ancien mythe est sans fondement. Mots clés: radiodatation, renne, bois Traduit pour la revue Arctic par Nésida Loyer. |
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