Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T08:51:29.438Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

14C Dating Ancient Japanese Documents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Hirotaka Oda
Affiliation:
Dating and Materials Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-01 Japan
Toshio Nakamura
Affiliation:
Dating and Materials Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-01 Japan
Michiaki Furukawa
Affiliation:
Dating and Materials Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-01 Japan
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We measured radiocarbon ages of 11 pieces of ancient Japanese documents by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The purpose of this study is to compare the relationship between the calibrated 14C age and the historical age of Japanese paper samples. Calibrated ages of nine pieces agree with their historical ages, indicating that Japanese ancient documents can be used for 14C dating in the recent historic period. On the other hand, the 14C age of paper that was used for reinforcement of a sutra is ca. 300 yr older than the historical age of the sutra. This shows that the sutra was repaired with old paper.

Type
Part 2: Applications
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

Kitagawa, H., Masuzawa, T., Nakamura, T. and Matsumoto, E. 1993 A batch preparation method of graphite targets with low background for AMS 14C measurements. Radiocarbon 35(2): 295300.Google Scholar
Nakamura, T., Nakai, N., Sakase., T., Kimura, M., Ohishi, S., Taniguchi, M. and Yoshioka, S. 1985 Direct detection of radiocarbon using accelerator techniques and its application to age measurement. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 24: 17161723.Google Scholar
Nakamura, T. and Nakai, N. 1988 Fundamentals of radiocarbon dating. Memoirs of the Geological Society of Japan 29: 83106.Google Scholar
Oda, H. 1994 A study of correction for carbon isotopic fractionation in 14C/13C ratio measurement with AMS. Summaries of Research Using AMS at Nagoya University 5: 244251.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M. and Pearson, G. W. 1993 High-precision bidecadal calibration of the radiocarbon time scale, ad 1950–500 bc and 2500–6000 bc. In Stuiver, M., Long, A. and Kra, R. S., eds., Calibration 1993. Radiocarbon 35(1): 123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearson, G. W. and Stuiver, M. 1993 High-precision bidecadal calibration of the radiocarbon time scale, 500–2500 bc. In Stuiver, M., Long, A. and Kra, R. S., eds., Calibration 1993. Radiocarbon 35(1): 2533.Google Scholar