RADIOCARBON DATING AND INTERCOMPARISON OF SOME EARLY HISTORICAL RADIOCARBON SAMPLES

We performed a new series of measurements on samples that were part of early measurements on radiocarbon (C-14) dating made in 1948-1949. Our results show generally good agreement to the data published in 1949-1951, despite vast changes in technology, with only two exceptions where there was a discrepancy in the original studies. Our new measurements give calibrated ages that overlap with the known ages. We dated several samples at four different laboratories, and so we were also able to make a small intercomparison at the same time. In addition, new measurements on samples from other Egyptian materials used by Libby and co-workers were made at UC Irvine. Samples of tree rings used in the original studies (from Broken Flute Cave and Centennial Stump) were obtained from the University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research archive and remeasured. New data were compared to the original studies and other records.