Fossil fuel emissions could soon start to cause headaches for archaeologists and paleontologists using radiocarbon dating to study artifacts. New research suggests the release of carbon-based gases into the atmosphere by vehicles and factories could alter radiocarbon measurements of ancient material. Radiocarbon dating measures levels of carbon-14, a naturally radioactive form of the atom. This […]

A new series of radiocarbon measurements from Japan’s Lake Suigetsu will give scientists a more accurate benchmark for dating materials, especially for older objects, according to a research team that included Oxford University’s Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit.  The research team extracted cores of beautifully preserved layers of sediment, containing organic material (such as tree leaf and […]