Radiocarbon to calendar date conversion: Calendrical band widths as a function of radiocarbon precision

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Radiocarbon; (United States)

OSTI ID:6338960

McCormac, F G; Baillie, M G.L. ^[1]

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1. Queen's University of Belfast, School of Geosciences, (Ireland)

Accurate high-precision [sup 14]C dating (i.e., [plus minus] 20 yr precision or less on the [sup 14]C date) provides the narrowest calendrical band width and, hence, the best age range determination possible. However, because of the structure in the [sup 14]C calibration curve, the calendar age range for a given [sup 14]C precision is not constant throughout the calibration range. In this study, they quantify the calendar band widths for a range of [sup 14]C precisions throughout the calibration range. They show that an estimate of the likely calendar band width in years can be obtained from the expression: Band width (yr) = 2.12 x [sup 14]C precision (1 [sigma]) + 54.6. They also show that calendar band widths are widest around 4000 Bp at the start of the Bronze Age, and become narrow through the later Bronze Age and Iron Age and back into the Neolithic.

• OSTI ID: 6338960
• Journal Information: Radiocarbon; (United States), Vol. 35:2; ISSN 0033-8222
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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