The essential question of how to convert radiocarbon determinations -those physical figures so beguilingly expressed in 'radiocarbon years before present' which are not years at all -remains open to debate. In this new contribution, an approach is outlined using Bayesian methods, rather than classical statistics.

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The revised radiocarbon calibration curve, published last year, extends back into the Pleistocene the radiocarbon determinations that can be converted to real calendar years. For determinations of any age, the right judgements and statistical considerations must be followed if the real information held in the determinations is to be found. Here is advice with some worked examples.