Description
Book SynopsisThis volume is a major revision and expansion of Taylorâs seminal book Radiocarbon Dating: An Archaeological Perspective. It covers the major advances and accomplishments of the 14C method in archaeology and analyzes factors that affect the accuracy and precision of 14C-based age estimates. In addition to reviewing the basic principles of the method, it examines 14C dating anomalies and means to resolve them, and considers the critical application of 14C data as a dating isotope with special emphasis on issues in Old and New World archaeology and late Quaternary paleoanthropology. This volume, again a benchmark for 14C dating, critically reflects on the method and data that underpins, in so many cases, the validity of the chronologies used to understand the prehistoric archaeological record.
Trade Review"Although listed as the second edition of Taylor's important 1987 publication with the same name, this is a greatly expanded, much more comprehensive coverage of the subject. At the core are extensive treatments of the radiocarbon dating technique and the history of its discovery by physicist Willard Libby and coworkers. Just as important are lengthy, well-referenced chapters of the implications of radiocarbon dating for Old and New World archaeology, referencing general problems in the application of the dating technique and specific examples from the Old and New Worlds. The volume includes a comprehensive current bibliography and is abundantly illustrated with photos, charts, and maps. Clearly, this is an essential volume for colleges and universities with programs in physics, history, and anthropology, drawing the attention of both professionals and students. ... Summing Up: Essential."
--R. B. Clay, emeritus, University of Kentucky
Table of ContentsForeword by Colin RenfrewPreface1. BASIC ELEMENTS2. MAJOR ANOMALIES 3. SAMPLES AND SAMPLE PRETREATMENT4. MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES 5. EVALUATION OF RADIOCARBON DATA6. RADIOCARBON DATING IN OLD WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY 7. RADIOCARBON DATING IN NEW WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY8. RADIOCARBON DATING: ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION9. RADIOCARBON DATING: GUIDE TO BIBLIOGRAPHIC SOURCESReferencesIndex
