The authors present a detailed theoretical and experimental study of the liquid scintillation balanced counting method, widely used in radiocarbon dating, using a simple, laboratory-made system. A fixed counting window becomes a balanced window when the high voltage is set where the 14C count rate rises to a maximum. Using a measured 14C pulse height spectrum, we have calculated the lower and upper limits for 11 balanced windows of varying width and their respective counting efficiencies. Furthermore, we have studied: (1) theoretically and experimentally, the counting efficiency for up to a ±15% shift in pulse height from the balanced setting, (2) the change in pulse height due to temperature variations, (3) the long-time stability of the system, and (4) a method that allows a quick determination of the balance voltage for individual samples, using the Compton spectrum of 133Ba. The standard deviation for thirty 24-hr measuring periods for a 14C standard (190 Bq) was within the expected statistical standard error (0.03%).

In 1989 and 1991, wood charcoal samples were excavated at a Predynastic settlement in Upper Egypt, Halfiah Gibli (HG). A second site, Semaineh (SH), was also investigated, but as the ceramics there were mostly from the Old Kingdom, excavations were concentrated at HG. Wood charcoal was obtained in undisturbed contexts, in association with Nagada culture potsherds and lithics, ranging in date from about 3700 BC to 3200/3100 BC. These new radiocarbon dates provide more data for the relative phases of the Nagada culture, formulated mainly from ceramic seriation.