The DOI matches its Crossref record; 9 of the 9 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Towards High-Precision AMS: Progress and Limitations
Open accessAbstract
Precision and accuracy in accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating relies on the systematic reduction of errors at all stages of the dating process, from sampling to AMS measurement. With new AMS systems providing much better precision and accuracy for the final stage of the process, we need to review the process as a whole to test the accuracy of reported results. A new High Voltage Engineering Europa (HVEE) AMS system was accepted at Oxford in September 2002. Since then, the system has been in routine use for AMS dating and here we report on our experiences during the first year. The AMS system itself is known to be capable of making measurements on single targets to a precision of better than 0.2% for the 14 C/13 C ratio and better than 0.1% for the 13 C/12 C ratio. In routine operation, we measure known-age wood to a precision of just above 0.3%, including uncertainties in background and pretreatment. At these levels, the scatter in results is no higher than reported errors, suggesting that uncertainties of ±25 to ±30 14 C yr can be reliably reported on single target measurements. This provides a test of all parts of the process for a particular material in a particular state of preservation. More generally, sample pretreatment should remove as much contamination as feasible from the sample while adding as little laboratory contamination as possible. For more complex materials, such as bone, there is clearly more work needed to prove good reproducibility and insignificant offsets in all circumstances. Strategies for testing accuracy and precision on unknown material are discussed here, as well as the possibilities of one day reaching precisions equivalent to errors of <±20 14 C yr.
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Cites
INTCAL98 Radiocarbon Age Calibration, 24,000–0 cal BP
Stuiver, M., Reimer, P. J., Bard, E., Beck, J. W., Burr, G. S., Hughen, K. A., Kromer, B., McCormac, G., Van Der Plicht, J., & Spurk, M. (1998) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200019123 · Cited by 4,421
Improvements to the Pretreatment of Bone at Oxford
Bronk Ramsey, C., Higham, T., Bowles, A., & Hedges, R. (2004) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200039473 · Cited by 511
Self-citationA Freshwater Diet-Derived 14C Reservoir Effect at the Stone Age Sites in the Iron Gates Gorge
Cook, G. T., Bonsall, C., Hedges, R. E. M., McSweeney, K., Boronean, V, & Pettitt, P. B. (2001) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200038327 · Cited by 195
THE OXFORD ACCELERATOR MASS SPECTROMETRY FACILITY: TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN ROUTINE DATING
Hedges, R. E. M., Law, I. A., Bronk, C., & Housley, R. A. (1989) · Archaeometry · doi:10.1111/j.1475-4754.1989.tb01007.x · Cited by 149
Wiggle-Match Dating of Tree-Ring Sequences
Galimberti, M., Bronk Ramsey, C., & Manning, S. W. (2004) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200035967 · Cited by 127
Precise 14C Measurement By Liquid Scintillation Counting
Pearson, G. W. (1979) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200004185 · Cited by 50
Liquid Scintillation Counter Characterization, Optimization and Benzene Purity Correction
McCormac, F. G. (1992) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200013400 · Cited by 28
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Bryant, C., Carmi, I., Cook, G., Gulliksen, S., Harkness, D. D., Heinemeier, J., McGee, E. J., Naysmith, P., Possnert, G., Scott, E. M., et al. (2001) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200038170 · Cited by 7
Cited by
Symbolic use of marine shells and mineral pigments by Iberian Neandertals
Zilhão, J., Angelucci, D. E., Badal-García, E., d’Errico, F., Daniel, F., Dayet, L., Douka, K., Higham, T. F. G., Martínez-Sánchez, M. J., Montes-Bernárdez, R., et al. (2010) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0914088107 · Cited by 681
Self-citationAMS Radiocarbon Dating of Ancient Bone Using Ultrafiltration
Higham, T. F. G., Jacobi, R. M., & Ramsey, C. B. (2006) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200066388 · Cited by 451
Self-citationd’Errico, F., Backwell, L., Villa, P., Degano, I., Lucejko, J. J., Bamford, M. K., Higham, T. F. G., Colombini, M. P., & Beaumont, P. B. (2012) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1204213109 · Cited by 448
Self-citationPostglacial viability and colonization in North America’s ice-free corridor
Pedersen, M. W., Ruter, A., Schweger, C., Friebe, H., Staff, R. A., Kjeldsen, K. K., Mendoza, M. L. Z., Beaudoin, A. B., Zutter, C., Larsen, N. K., et al. (2016) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature19085 · Cited by 369
Radiocarbon-Based Chronology for Dynastic Egypt
Ramsey, C. B., Dee, M. W., Rowland, J. M., Higham, T. F. G., Harris, S. A., Brock, F., Quiles, A., Wild, E. M., Marcus, E. S., & Shortland, A. J. (2010) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1189395 · Cited by 246
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Metadata
- Authors
- Bronk Ramsey, C., Higham, T., & Leach, P.
- Venue
- Radiocarbon
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2004
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 17-24
- ISSN
- 0033-8222 (ISSN-L)
- 1945-5755
- OpenAlex
- W1927240539
- Cited by
- 289
- References
- 9
- FWCI
- 8.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
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