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Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Measuring Carbon-based Contaminant Mineralization Using Combined CO2 Flux and Radiocarbon Analyses
Published on: October 21, 2016
Integrated multi-analytical screening approach for reliable radiocarbon dating of ancient mortars
Giulia Ricci1,2, Michele Secco3,4, Anna Addis5
1Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Via Giovanni Gradenigo 6, 35131, Padua, Italy. giulia.ricci@unipd.it.
Abstract:
Radiocarbon dating of the carbonate binder of historical mortars is a strategic research topic not lacking in complexities. The critical step is the separation of anthropogenic CaCO3-binder from other carbonate sources that could severely affect the resulting dates. Here we present a complete procedure for the processing and characterization of difficult mortars and of the separated binder fractions in order to assess a priori the chances of positively dating the mortar, and produce a binder fraction yielding the most reliable radiocarbon dates possible. Two complex architectural case studies from Northern Italy are presented and discussed in detail: the churches of Santa Maria Maggiore (Lomello, Pavia) and Santa Maria (Torba, Varese). The results support that both the reliability assessment and the successful radiocarbon dating are possible through a multi-analytical approach encompassing mineralogical and petrographic characterization, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, measurement of carbon and oxygen stable isotopes, and optical cathodoluminescence.
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