Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 15, 2026

Measuring Carbon-based Contaminant Mineralization Using Combined CO2 Flux and Radiocarbon Analyses
Published on: October 21, 2016
Mineralized Remains as Adjacent Proxy for Radiocarbon Dating
Laura Hendriks1, Clémence Iacconi1,2, Luc Robbiola3
1HEIA School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Pérolles 80, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland.
Radiocarbon dating now uses selective carbonate analysis in mineralized materials to reveal precise archaeological timelines. This innovative method accurately dated an Iron Age site in France, pinpointing human activity at its foundation.
Area of Science:
- Archaeological Science
- Radiocarbon Dating
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Radiocarbon dating has advanced significantly since the 1950s.
- Traditional methods face challenges in complex archaeological contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for recovering chronological information from archaeological remains.
- To apply this method to determine the foundation chronology of the Iron Age site of Creney-le-Paradis.
Main Methods:
- Selective dating of carbonates within adjacent mineralized organic materials.
- Analysis of copper carbonate accretions to identify anthropogenic humus layers.
Main Results:
- Successfully extracted 14C ages using an innovative selective strategy.
- Accurate dating of an anthropogenic humus layer between 808 and 790 BC.
- Inferred human activity linked to the foundation of the burial mound.
Conclusions:
- Spatially resolved dating imagery within archaeological sites is feasible.
- Microsample analysis can document site formation chronologies.
- This technique provides new evidence for the chronology of the Creney-le-Paradis site.
Related Concept Videos
Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating
The Fossil Record
Diversity of Protists III
Carbon Skeletons

