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14C Dating of ∼2500-Yr-Old Choukai Jindai Cedar Tree Rings from Japan Using Highly Accurate LSC Measurement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Hirohisa Sakurai ,
Wataru Kato ,
Yosuke Takahashi ,
Kayo Suzuki ,
Yui Takahashi ,
Shuichi Gunji  and
Fuyuki Tokanai
Hirohisa Sakurai*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
Wataru Kato
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
Yosuke Takahashi
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
Kayo Suzuki
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
Yui Takahashi
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
Shuichi Gunji
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
Fuyuki Tokanai
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
*
Corresponding author. Email: sakurai@sci.kj.yamagata-u.ac.jp.
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Abstract

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Radiocarbon ages of 8 decadal tree rings and 66 single-yr tree rings have been measured with a highly accurate liquid scintillation counting (LSC) system (0.2% error) after synthesizing 10.5 g of benzene for each α-cellulose sample produced from tree rings of Choukai Jindai cedar in Japan (39°N). The 14C ages were between 2449 and 2539 14C yr BP for the 21 samples. From the wiggle-matching of the data set using the IntCal04 (Reimer et al. 2004) calibration data in OxCal v 3.10 (Bronk Ramsey 2005), the estimated age of the outer edge of the Choukai tree rings was 477.5 BC (±12.5 yr) with a confidence level of 95.5%; hence, the Choukai tree rings range from 2757 to 2437 cal BP. The age indicates an improved eruption date of the Choukai Volcano. The statistical errors at 1 σ are approximately ± 10 and ± 7 14C yr for the 5-yr data and the decadal data from the single-yr measurements, respectively. For the interval between 2580 and 2520 cal BP, it is statistically significant that the Choukai 14C ages are ∼16 14C yr older on average than both the IntCal04 and QL German oak (∼50°N) data sets. The ∼2.0% offset is informative for the study of regional offset in the Far East.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 48 , Issue 3 , 2006 , pp. 401 - 408
Copyright
Copyright © The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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