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High-Precision Bayesian Modeling of Samples Susceptible to Inbuilt Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2016

M W Dee  and
C Bronk Ramsey
M W Dee*
Affiliation:
RLAHA, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
C Bronk Ramsey
Affiliation:
RLAHA, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
*
1. Corresponding author. Email: michael.dee@rlaha.ox.ac.uk.
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Abstract

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Radiocarbon dates on samples susceptible to inbuilt age are common in the chronological record of many archaeological and environmental sites. Indeed, fragments of charcoal and wood are sometimes the only materials sufficiently well preserved for dating. However, where high-precision estimates arc required the extra uncertainty associated with such measurements often renders them unusable. This article tests three Bayesian modeling approaches that are designed to tackle this problem. The findings of our study suggest that successful corrections can be made for the inherent age offsets. The most effective and versatile approach was based on a version of outlier analysis. It is hoped that this method will become more widely employed and enable samples susceptible to inbuilt age to be included in high-precision chronologies.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 56 , Issue 1 , 2014 , pp. 83 - 94
Copyright
Copyright © 2014 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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