Calibration of the ¹⁴C time scale: towards the complete dating range

Abstract

Radiocarbon calibration based on dendro-chronology and U-series dated corals yield a calibration curve (INTCAL98) well into the Late Glacial, back to ca. 15,600 calendar years ago. Beyond this limit, various calibration curves are produced, mainly based on laminated sediments and various carbonates dated by U-series isotopes. Such calibration curves now cover the complete "C dating range of about 45,000 years, but are not consistent with each other. Each calibration method (other than dendro-chronology) has its own assumptions and pitfalls. Thus far, the calibration curve obtained from Lake Suigetsu laminated sediments is the only terrestrial (atmospheric) one.

Dating the colonization of Sahul (Pleistocene Australia–New Guinea): a review of recent research

“…Simply put, 14 C years are not the same as solar years, and the relationship between the two varies through time. This relationship is well-controlled for the Holocene but remains highly problematic for earlier time periods [104,138]. Analyses of terrestrial and marine data sets by various combinations of radiocarbon, U-series, luminescence, paleomagnetic and stratigraphic techniques indicate very large fluctuations in atmospheric 14 C content in the >30 ka time range, mainly as a function of changes in geomagnetic field strength and North Atlantic thermohaline circulation [14,37,83,86,139,146].…”

“…Relying primarily on the summary in Van der Plicht [138], we assume for the sake of discussion that 14 C dates in the 30-42 ka range may be up to (but not necessarily as much as) 7 ka short of true calendar values. For 14 C dates >42 ka, the offset may be somewhat less, possibly in the 3-4 ka range, perhaps even smaller (1-2 ka).…”

Radiocarbon Chronologies and Extinction Dynamics of the Late Quaternary Mammalian Megafauna of the Taimyr Peninsula, Russian Federation

“…Although chronometric records based on radiocarbon dating are of central importance to late Quaternary paleontology, it is necessary to keep in mind their limitations (van der Plicht, 1998(van der Plicht, , 2000. The INTCAL98 calibration curve (Stuiver et al, 1998), the current international standard, is based on several sources.…”

“…During the latest Pleistocene and Holocene the trend has been fairly regularly downward, toward lower atmospheric 14 C content. Within this interval, 14 C is now well understood (van der Plicht, 1998(van der Plicht, , 2000. Much more problematic are the massive excursions that punctuate earlier parts of the radiocarbon record, particularly because different methodologies used to investigate flux do not produce the same results.…”

Calendar year age estimates of Allerød–Younger Dryas sea‐level oscillations at Os, western Norway

“…Prior to 11 850 cal. yr BP, there are still no absolute dated chronologies available (van der Plicht, 2002;Litt et al, 2003). We have used the high-resolution Cariaco series (Hughen et al, 2000) for events older than 11 850 cal.…”