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Roman Ruins as an Experiment for Radiocarbon Dating of Mortar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Irka Hajdas ,
Jürgen Trumm ,
Georges Bonani ,
Carol Biechele ,
Mantana Maurer  and
Lukas Wacker
Irka Hajdas*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH, Schafmattstr. 20, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
Jürgen Trumm
Affiliation:
Kantonsarchäologie Aargau, Industriestr. 3, 5200 Brugg, Switzerland
Georges Bonani
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH, Schafmattstr. 20, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
Carol Biechele
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH, Schafmattstr. 20, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
Mantana Maurer
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH, Schafmattstr. 20, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
Lukas Wacker
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH, Schafmattstr. 20, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
*
Corresponding author. Email: hajdas@phys.ethz.ch
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Abstract

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The remains of Vindonissa, the Roman legionary camp in Switzerland, have been the subject of extensive archaeological studies. Knowledge of the building time plays a role in reconstructions of the history of this site. We radiocarbon dated mortar samples selected from one of the Roman monuments (Westtor) as well as a nearby Medieval monastery. 14C ages obtained on the first fraction and second fraction of very short dissolution appear close to the expected Roman age of ∼2000 BP, while the monastery is dated to historic times, after AD 1308.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 54 , Issue 3-4 , 2012 , pp. 897 - 903
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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