Uppsala Natural Radiocarbon Measurements I

Abstract

The following list covers the samples measured at the Uppsala radiocarbon laboratory during 1957, when the measurements started, and 1958. Two samples of sediments have been excluded, as the origin of the material was doubtful.

Problems of radiocarbon dating of raised beaches, based on experience in Spitsbergen1

“…It has been shown by de Vries (1956,1957) that the background varies with the barometric pressure in such a way that part of the background can be attribured to the nucleonic component of the cosmic rays. In Uppsala we have a change of 0.035 cpm for a change of 10 mm Hg of rhe barometric pressure (de Vries, Stuiver, and Olsson, 1959). The difference between the extreme values is almost 50 mm Hg at the C14 laboratory in Uppsala.…”

“…In the oceans there are usually smaJ ll amounts of Th230 even if 0.6 % of the amount required for secular equilibrium has been measured. Olsson, 1959Olsson, -1960. Every sample is represented by a rectangle in which the side parallel to the abscissa represents the fraction which has been used, and the standard deviation (ai) is shown along the ordinate.…”

“…The expected fractionation of C14 can be cakulated from the fractionation of cia as measur e d with a mas s spectrometer. Part of the C02 from each sample has been sent to Stockholm, where Dr. R. Ryhage and his collab omrors have compared the cia/ C12 tatio with that of the Uppsala reference sample (Olsson, 1959(Olsson, , 1960. Each date is 11 elaited to this sample after a correction for isotopic foactionation has bee n applied.1 From three determinations carried out in Uppsala (U-133, U-121, and U-122) and several measurements at orher la1boratories one can expect rhat samples from the sea give ages about 400 years roo high.…”

Five radiocarbon datings of Post Glacial shorelines in Central Spitsbergen

“…Among many other samples from Nordaustlandet, the northernmost great island in the SvaLbard group, two consisting of whale bone have been dated radiologically by Ingrid Olsson (1959Olsson ( , 1960. They were col The organic fraction is the most reliable and in this case the contamina tions should give too young <lates (Olsson and Blake, in preparation).…”

British Museum Natural Radiocarbon Measurements I

“…Because of this, and of the possibility of errors due to the effects recently discovered by de Vries (1958) Ostlund, 1957), by the Cambridge laboratory (Q-112, 1904 ± 95;Godwin and Willis, 1959), and by the Uppsala laboratory U-68, 1980 ± 70; Olsson, 1959 Anderson, Levi, and Tauber, 1953) ; also dated by the Uppsala laboratory (U-20, 10,830 ± 130;U-75, 10,680 ± 130;Olsson, 1959) and by the Stockholm laboratory (St-18, 10,200 ± 300;Ostlund, 1957 (1957,1958). Comment: The sample is from a Pietersburg culture "Middle" Stone Age horizon and is, therefore, earlier than the later stage of the Pietersburg culture which, in the case of the Cave of Hearths, has a date of 15,100 ± 730 (C-925).…”