History
In 1939, Martin Kamen and Samuel Ruben of the Radiation Laboratory at Berkeley began experiments to determine if any of the elements common in organic matter had isotopes with … See more

Samples for dating need to be converted into a form suitable for measuring the C content; this can mean conversion to gaseous, liquid, or solid form, depending on the measurement … See more

Interpretation
A key concept in interpreting radiocarbon dates is archaeological association: what is the true relationship between two or more objects at an archaeological site? It frequently happens that a sample for radiocarbon dating … See more

The variation in the C/ C ratio in different parts of the carbon exchange reservoir means that a straightforward calculation of the age of a sample based on the amount of C it contains will often give an incorrect result. There are several other possible sources of error … See more

For decades after Libby performed the first radiocarbon dating experiments, the only way to measure the C in a sample was to detect the radioactive decay of individual carbon atoms. In … See more

• 774–775 carbon-14 spike
• Chronological dating, archaeological chronology
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1. ^ Korff's paper actually referred to slow neutrons, a term that since Korff's time has acquired a more specific meaning, referring to a range … See more