Cited by 14,591Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesGeology and Paleoclimatology ResearchTree-ring climate responses

IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibration curves 0–50,000 years cal BP

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Reimer, Paula J, Bard, Edouard, Bayliss, Alex, Beck, J Warren, Blackwell, Paul G, Ramsey, Christopher Bronk, Buck, Caitlin E, Cheng, Hai +22 more·2013·Radiocarbon

Abstract

The IntCal09 and Marine09 radiocarbon calibration curves have been revised utilizing newly available and updated data sets from 14 C measurements on tree rings, plant macrofossils, speleothems, corals, and foraminifera. The calibration curves were derived from the data using the random walk model (RWM) used to generate IntCal09 and Marine09, which has been revised to account for additional uncertainties and error structures. The new curves were ratified at the 21st International Radiocarbon conference in July 2012 and are available as Supplemental Material at www.radiocarbon.org. The database can be accessed at http://intcal.qub.ac.uk/intcal13/.

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Crossref · 10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16947

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67 of 67 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • A synthetic radiocarbon age of 2485±25 BP corresponds to ca. 586 calBC, with 95.4% confidence interval spanning >250 years (771-517 calBC) and 68.2% intervals ranging over 216 years (756-545 calBC).

    “For example, S1 Fig displays the radiocarbon calibration curve of a synthetic radiocarbon age of 2485±25 Before Present (BP), which corresponds (by reverse calibration) to ca. 586 calibrated BC (calBC). The 95.4% confidence interval of the calibrated age spans over more than 250 years (771–517 calBC) and the 68.2% confidence intervals range over 216 years (756–545 calBC) [38, 39].”

    From The Earth’s magnetic field in Jerusalem during the Babylonian destruction: A unique reference for field behavior and an anchor for archaeomagnetic dating (2020) · cites this paper as [38]

    The CALIBRATION section identifies IntCal13 as a curve used to calibrate radiocarbon ages, supporting the citation as a source for the curve. Our copy does not report the synthetic 2485±25 BP example, its ca. 586 calBC estimate, or the stated 95.4% and 68.2% intervals; searches for those values found no matching passage. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE took place in the middle of a period characterized by a plateau in the radiocarbon calibration curve, posing difficulty in obtaining uncertainty of less than 200 years in standard radiocarbon dating.

    “From a chronological viewpoint the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE took place in the middle of a period characterized by a plateau in the radiocarbon calibration curve [38], posing difficulty in obtaining uncertainty of less than 200 years in standard radiocarbon dating.”

    From The Earth’s magnetic field in Jerusalem during the Babylonian destruction: A unique reference for field behavior and an anchor for archaeomagnetic dating (2020) · cites this paper as [38]

    The Introduction explains why radiocarbon ages require calibration, and the Conclusions and Future Directions section identifies Figure 5 as showing the tree-ring portion of the IntCal13 curve from 0–14,000 cal BP, which includes 586 BCE. The text in our copy does not establish that 586 BCE falls in a plateau or substantiate the claimed difficulty of achieving uncertainty below 200 years with standard dating. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The placement shown in Fig. 1b is robust within about 1 year, pending revision of this whole period of the IntCal dataset.

    “We therefore regard the placement shown in Fig. 1b as robust within about 1 year, pending revision of this whole period of the IntCal dataset (we note that this portion of IntCal20 remains largely based on legacy data from IntCal1327, and before).”

    From Radiocarbon offsets and old world chronology as relevant to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia and Thera (Santorini) (2020) · cites this paper as [27]

    The citation is attached to the parenthetical about legacy data, not to the citing authors’ own estimate that their placement is robust within about one year. The Data Sets and Terrestrial ¹⁴C Archives sections show that IntCal13 incorporated data from earlier IntCal datasets. As a 2013 paper, however, it does not establish that IntCal20 remains largely based on those data. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • At times when the positive Mediterranean growing season offset might be anticipated as possibly relevant, such as a major reversal and plateau in the 14C calibration curve ~1610 to 1530 BCE, the relevant information likely does not come from BCP or IrO or the current IntCal.

    “Therefore, at times when the positive Mediterranean growing season offset might be anticipated as possibly relevant, such as a major reversal and plateau in the 14C calibration curve ~1610 to 1530 BCE (4), the relevant information likely does not come from BCP or IrO or the current IntCal.”

    From Mediterranean radiocarbon offsets and calendar dates for prehistory (2020) · cites this paper as [4]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 1 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • A single Northern Hemisphere 14C calibration curve (IntCal), constructed mainly from known-age wood from central and northern Europe and North America, has become the basis for calendar dates for pre- and protohistory and for other work requiring an accurate absolute time scale.

    “Hence, a single NH 14C calibration curve (IntCal), constructed mainly from known-age wood from central and northern Europe and North America, has become the basis for calendar dates for pre- and protohistory and for other work requiring an accurate absolute time scale (1–4).”

    From Mediterranean radiocarbon offsets and calendar dates for prehistory (2020) · cites this paper as [4]

    Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. [8]8. C yr B.P. by means of planktonic foraminifera of the Iberian Margin. Qua- ternary Research 61(2):204-14.
  2. [15]15. kyr B.P. Science 338(6105): 370-4.
  3. [20]20. Kitagawa H, van der Plicht J. 1998b. A 40,000-year varve chronology from Lake Suigetsu, Japan: exten- sion of the 14 C calibration curve. Radiocarbon 40(1): 505-15.
  4. [31]31. Muscheler R, Beer J, Kubik PW, Synal H-A. 2005. Geo- magnetic field intensity during the last 60,000 years based on 10 Be and 36 Cl from the Summit ice cores and 14 C. Quaternary Science Reviews 24(16-17):1849- 60.
  5. [36]36. Olsen J, Rasmussen TL, Reimer PJ. 2013. North Atlantic marine radiocarbon reservoir ages through Heinrich event H4: a new method for marine age model con- struction. In: Austin WEN, Abbott P, Davies S, Pearce N, Wastegard S, editors. Marine Tephrochronology. Geological Society of London. Special Publication. In press.
  6. [46]46. Singer BS, Guillou H, Jicha BR, Laj C, Kissel C, Beard BL, Johnson CM. 2009. 40 Ar/ 39 Ar, K-Ar and 230 Th- 238 U dating of the Laschamp excursion: a radioiso- topic tie-point for ice core and climate chronologies. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 286(1-2):80-8.

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Authors
Reimer, P. J., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Beck, J. W., Blackwell, P. G., Ramsey, C. B., Buck, C. E., Cheng, H., Edwards, R. L., Friedrich, M., Grootes, P. M., Guilderson, T. P., Haflidason, H., Hajdas, I., Hatté, C., Heaton, T. J., Hoffmann, D. L., Hogg, A. G., Hughen, K. A., Kaiser, K. F., Kromer, B., Manning, S. W., Niu, M., Reimer, R. W., Richards, D. A., Scott, E. M., Southon, J. R., Staff, R. A., Turney, C. S. M., & van der Plicht, J.
Affiliations
  • Queen's University Belfast (GB)
  • English Heritage (GB)
  • University of Arizona (US)
  • University of Sheffield (GB)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • University of Minnesota (US)
  • University of Hohenheim (DE)
  • Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US)
  • University of Bergen (NO)
  • ETH Zurich (CH)
  • Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (ES)
  • University of Waikato (NZ)
  • Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US)
  • University of Zurich (CH)
  • Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (DE)
  • Cornell University (US)
  • University of Bristol (GB)
  • University of Glasgow (GB)
  • University of California, Irvine (US)
Corresponding author
Reimer, Paula J
Venue
Radiocarbon
Published
2013
Volume
55
Issue
4
Pages
1869-1887
ISSN
  • 0033-8222 (ISSN-L)
  • 1945-5755
OpenAlex
W2146687568
Cited by
14,591
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 95 · 2025: 156 · 2024: 213 · 2023: 318 · 2022: 468 · 2021: 1009 · 2020: 1711 · 2019: 1533 · 2018: 1449 · 2017: 1538 · 2016: 1306 · 2015: 1256 · 2014: 1122 · 2013: 972 · 2012: 772
FWCI
539.48
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Radiocarbon (publishedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Research Commons (University of Waikato) (submittedVersion)
  • Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) (submittedVersion)
  • DORA WSL (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research) (submittedVersion)
  • Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
  • Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • Past Global Changes
  • Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen
  • Natural Environment Research Council (NE/E019129/1, NRCF010002, NE/E018807/1, NE/F004400/1, NE/I01666X/1)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Tree-ring climate responses
Keywords
radiocarbon calibration, calibration curve, tree rings, plant macrofossils, speleothems, coral, foraminifera, random walks, calibration uncertainty, radiocarbon dating

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