Every radiocarbon sample that an archaeologist turns in to a physicist for dating has its particular story to tell. The story is likely to be much longer and more devious than is easily expressed in a simple number. I am a little worried about our use of “lists” of radiocarbon dates in view of the recent treatment of some dates from Cape Denbigh.

During the field seasons of 1948, 1949, and 1950 we secured from the Denbigh Flint layer no more than a small pillbox full of charcoal. When this was submitted to Libby, at the University of Chicago laboratory, he regretfully notified us that the sample was not enough to coat a cylinder. Our 4th field trip to Cape Denbigh, in 1952, was made for the express purpose of scraping together enough organic matter for analysis of the oldest cultural layer.