Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-fv566 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T01:25:20.547Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Is Tooth Enamel Carbonate a Suitable Material for Radiocarbon Dating?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

R. E. M. Hedges ,
J.A. Lee-Thorp  and
N. C. Tuross
R. E. M. Hedges
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, Oxford University, 6 Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3QJ England
J.A. Lee-Thorp
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700 South Africa
N. C. Tuross
Affiliation:
Conservation Analytical Laboratory, Museum Support Center, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560 USA
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We present the results of 18 radiocarbon determinations on the carbonate fraction of tooth enamel prepared from nine separate teeth. The known ages of the teeth vary from 11 to >200 ka bp, and are from three sites. The sample preparation procedures varied somewhat, but were broadly based on procedures found to give satisfactory results on carbon stable isotope measurements. All the 14C dates obtained are too young, by an equivalent contamination of ca. 6% Modern (pMC). This value is fairly consistent despite variations in sample preparation. We discuss the implications for using enamel as a possible alternative to bone when insufficient collagen is available.

Type
II. 14C in Archaeology
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , 1995 , pp. 285 - 290
Copyright
Copyright © the Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona 

References

Bocherens, H., Fogel, M. L., Tuross, N. and Zeder, M. 1995 Trophic structure and climatic information from isotopic signatures in Pleistocene cave fauna from Southern England. Journal of Archaeological Science 22(2): 327–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, W. E. and Chow, L. C. 1976 Chemical properties of bone minerals. Annual Review of Materials Science 6: 213–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haas, H. and Banewicz, J. 1980 Radiocarbon dating of bone apatite using thermal release of CO2 . In Stuiver, M. and Kra, R. S., eds., Proceedings of the 10th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 22(2): 537–544.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hassan, A. A., Termine, J. D. and Haynes, V. C. Jr. 1977 Mineralogical studies on bone apatite and their implications for radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon 19(3): 364–374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haynes, V. 1968 Radiocarbon: Analysis of inorganic carbon of fossil bone and enamel. Science 161: 687–688.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koch, P. L., Tuross, N. and Fogel, M. L. 1995 Isotopic preservation of calcified tissue during early diagenesis. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta , in press.Google Scholar
Kreuger, H. W. 1991 Exchange of carbon with biological apatite. Journal of Archaeological Science 18: 355–361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee-Thorp, J. A. (ms.) 1989 Stable Carbon Isotopes in Deep Time. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Cape Town, South Africa.Google Scholar
Lee-Thorp, J. A. and van der Merwe, N. J. 1991 Aspects of the chemistry of modern and fossil biological apatites. Journal of Archaeological Science 18: 343–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Legeros, R. Z., Legeros, J. P., Trautz, O. and Klein, E. 1969 Two types of carbonate substitution in apatite structure. Experientia 24: 5–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rey, C., Renugo, G., Palakrishnan, V., Shimuzu, M., Collins, B. and Glimcher, M. J. 1991 A resolution-enhanced fourier transform infra red study of the environment of the CO3 2- ion in the mineral phase of enamel during its formation and maturation. Calcified Tissue International 49: 259–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rink, W. J. and Schwarcz, H. P. 1995 Tests for diagenesis in tooth enamel: ESR dating signals and carbonate contents. Journal of Archaeological Science 22(2): 301–312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saliège, J.-F., Person, A. and Paris, F. 1995 Preservation of the 13C/12C original ratio and 14C dating of the mineral fraction of human bones from Saharan tombs, Niger. Journal of Archaeological Science 22(2): 301–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schoeninger, M. J. and DeNiro, M. J. 1983 Reply to: “Carbon isotope ratios of bone apatite and animal diet reconstruction”. Nature 301: 177–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stafford, T. W., Hare, P. E., Currie, L., Jull, A. J. T. and Donahue, D. J. 1991 Accelerator radiocarbon dating at the molecular level. Journal of Archaeological Science 18: 35–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sullivan, C. Y. and Krueger, H. W. 1981 Carbon isotope analysis of separate chemical phases in modern and fossil bone. Nature 292: 333–335.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sullivan, C. H. and Krueger, H. W. 1983 Carbon isotope ratios of bone apatite and animal diet reconstruction. Nature 301: 177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tamers, M. A. and Pearson, F. J. 1965 Validity of radiocarbon dates on bone. Nature 208: 1053–1055.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed