Radiocarbon Dating

This method is one of the most precise dating techniques available, and is used by archaeologists and other scientists all over the world. It measures the ratio of radioactive Carbon-14 to stable Carbon-12 and -13 in once-living material, to determine how long it has been dead. This method is used to date animal bone, shell, charcoal, and other organic materials found in archaeological sites. The results of a radiocarbon date determination are expressed as a statistical range (e.g., A.D. 1625-1658), rather than a single point in time. At Crooks Canyon, charcoal retrieved from nine separate houses and features were radiocarbon dated; the results are illustrated in the figure below.

The radiocarbon dates from these sites confirm the age indicated by the artifact styles. House construction appears to have started 300 to 500 years ago, and many houses were occupied into the middle and late 19th Century.

Radiocarbon dates from Native American house structures at Crooks Canyon. Radiocarbon dates are expressed as a statistical range, indicated above by the horizontal bars.


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