British Museum Natural Radiocarbon Measurements XIX

Abstract

The following list consists of dates for archaeologic samples mostly measured from June 1984 to June 1985. The dates were obtained by liquid scintillation counting of benzene using the laboratory procedures outlined in previous lists (see, eg, BM-VIII, R, 1976, v 18, p 16). Dates are expressed as suggested by Stuiver and Polach (1977),ie, in14C years relative to AD 1950, based on the Libby half-life for14C of 5570 yr, and corrected for isotopic fractionation (δ13C values are given relative to PDB). No corrections have been made for natural14C variations. The modern reference standards are the NBS oxalic acids (SRM 4990 and RM 49). Errors quoted are the counting error for the sample, combined with an estimate of the errors contributed by the modern and background samples. This estimate includes both counting and non-counting errors, and is computed from differences in the overall count rates observed among the individual backgrounds and moderns. The overall error is given as ± 1 standard deviation (± 1σ). Descriptions, comments, and references to publications are based on information supplied by submitters.