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The Reliability of AMS Radiocarbon Dating of Shells from China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Weijian Zhou ,
M J Head ,
Fubao Wang ,
D J Donahue  and
A J T Jull
Weijian Zhou
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 17, Xi'an 710054, China
M J Head
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 17, Xi'an 710054, China
Fubao Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Geo and Ocean Sciences, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China
D J Donahue
Affiliation:
NSF AMS Facility, University of Arizona, PO Box 210081, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA
A J T Jull
Affiliation:
NSF AMS Facility, University of Arizona, PO Box 210081, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA
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Abstract

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We tested the feasibility of dating freshwater and terrestrial molluscs from the semiarid and arid zone in China, since these types of shell material deposit only aragonite to form their shell structure, and shell integrity can be easily observed using X-ray diffraction. We also tested the possibility of estimating microenvironmental changes from shell δ13C values, but variations within shell populations preclude the use of these values as a reliable indicator. Reservoir ages were calculated for living shells of the same species as fossil shells by using their measured 14C ages, which were recalculated using an average value of atmospheric 14C activity for the years spanning their time of collection as the modern standard. The results indicate that freshwater and terrestrial shells are potentially useful as dating material, provided extreme care is taken in their collection and other datable material (in this case wood and pollen) is within the profile to act as a comparison.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , 1999 , pp. 17 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

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