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Radiocarbon Dating: Fictitious Results with Mollusk Shells.

M L Keith, G M Anderson

    Science (New York, N.Y.)
    |August 16, 1963
    PubMed
    Summary
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    River mollusk shells can show inaccurate radiocarbon dating due to inactive carbon from humus. This impacts the reliability of radiocarbon dating for ancient freshwater shells, potentially causing errors of thousands of years.

    Area of Science:

    • Geochemistry
    • Paleochronology
    • Malacology

    Background:

    • Radiocarbon dating is crucial for paleochronology.
    • Freshwater mollusk shells are valuable archives of past environments.
    • Previous studies have noted potential discrepancies in freshwater radiocarbon dates.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the causes of anomalous radiocarbon ages in modern river mollusk shells.
    • To quantify the impact of inactive carbon incorporation on shell radiocarbon dating.
    • To assess the reliability of radiocarbon dates derived from freshwater shells.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of modern river mollusk shell samples.
    • Radiocarbon (carbon-14) dating techniques.
    • Investigation of carbon sources, including humus and dissolved carbonates.

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    Main Results:

    • Modern river mollusk shells exhibit anomalous radiocarbon ages.
    • Incorporation of carbon-14-deficient carbon from humus significantly affects dating.
    • Variable contributions from atmospheric CO2, mud fermentation, and limestone dissolution further complicate initial carbon-14 activity.

    Conclusions:

    • The initial carbon-14 activity of ancient freshwater shells is indeterminate due to multiple carbon sources.
    • Radiocarbon dates from river shells can have errors up to several thousand years.
    • Careful consideration of environmental factors is necessary for accurate radiocarbon dating of freshwater mollusk shells.