Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T22:51:44.863Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Radiocarbon Dating of Historical Parchments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2016

Fiona Brock
Fiona Brock*
Affiliation:
Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, United Kingdom. Email: fiona.brock@rlaha.ox.ac.uk.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A range of pretreatment methods was applied to 6 known-age historical parchments to investigate the most suitable methods for effectively removing contamination and ensuring accurate radiocarbon dates while minimizing unnecessary destruction of potentially valuable historical documents. The methods tested included an acid wash, different concentrations of acid-base-acid (ABA) pretreatments, the current routine ABA method applied at the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU) that includes an additional bleach treatment, and extraction of collagen. The C:N atomic weight ratio of the untreated and pretreated parchment fractions was observed to be a useful indicator of the presence or successful removal of contaminants. The pretreatment methods that produced the most accurate 14C dates and acceptable C:N ratios were found to be ABA protocols (without bleach) and collagen extraction; solvent washes and acid pretreatments alone were not sufficient to remove all contaminants and produce reliable 14C dates. The inclusion of a base wash did not affect the 14C dates of the samples, but did favorably influence the C:N ratio of the final product.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 55 , Issue 2: Proceedings of the 21st International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 1 of 2) , 2013 , pp. 353 - 363
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ambrose, SH. 1990. Preparation and characterization of bone and tooth collagen for isotopic analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 17(4):431–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Badea, E, Miu, E, Budrugeac, P, Giurginca, M, Masic, A, Badea, N, Delia Gatta, G. 2008. Study of deterioration of historical parchments by various thermal analysis techniques complemented by SEM, FTIR, UV-VIS-NIR and unilateral NMR investigations. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 91(1):17–27.Google Scholar
Berger, R, Evans, N, Abell, JM, Resnik, MA. 1972. Radiocarbon dating of parchment. Nature 235(5334):160–1.Google Scholar
Bonani, G, Ivy, S, Wölfli, W, Broshi, M, Carmi, I, Strugnell, J. 1992. Radiocarbon dating of fourteen Dead Sea Scrolls. Radiocarbon 34(3):843–9.Google Scholar
Brock, F, Higham, T, Ditchfield, P, Bronk Ramsey, C. 2010. Current pretreatment methods for AMS radiocarbon dating at the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU). Radiocarbon 52(1):103–12.Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2009. Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 51(1):337–60.Google Scholar
Carmi, I. 2002. Are the 14C dates of the Dead Sea Scrolls affected by castor oil contamination? Radiocarbon 44(1):213–6.Google Scholar
Donahue, DJ, Olin, JS, Harbottle, G. 2002. Determination of the radiocarbon age of parchment of the Vinland Map. Radiocarbon 44(1):45–52.Google Scholar
Edwards, HGM, Farwell, DW, Newton, EM, Rull Perez, F, Jorge Villar, S. 2001. Application of FT-Raman spectroscopy to the characterisation of parchment and vellum, I; novel information for palaeographic and historiated manuscript studies. Spectrochimica Acta Part A 57(6):1223–34.Google Scholar
Ghioni, C, Hiller, JC, Kennedy, CJ, Aliev, AE, Odlyha, M, Boulton, M, Wess, TJ. 2005. Evidence of a distinct lipid fraction in historical parchments: a potential role in degradation. Journal of Lipid Research 46(12):2726–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hedges, REM, Law, IA, Bronk, CR, Housley, RA. 1989. The Oxford accelerator mass spectrometry facility: technical developments in routine dating. Archaeometry 31(2):99–113.Google Scholar
Jull, AJT, Donahue, DJ, Broshi, M, Tov, E. 1995. Radiocarbon dating of scrolls and linen fragments from the Judean Desert. Radiocarbon 37(1):11–9.Google Scholar
Kennedy, CJ, Wess, TJ. 2003. The structure of collagen within parchment – a review. Restaurator 24(2):61–80.Google Scholar
Kennedy, CJ, Hiller, JC, Lammie, D, Drakopoulos, M, Vest, M, Cooper, M, Adderley, WP, Wess, TJ. 2004a. Microfocus X-ray diffraction of historical parchment reveals variations in structural features through parchment cross sections. Nano Letters 4(8):1373–80.Google Scholar
Kennedy, CJ, Vest, M, Cooper, M, Wess, TJ. 2004b. Laser cleaning of parchment: structural, thermal and biochemical studies into the effect of wavelength and fluence. Applied Surface Science 227(1–4):151–63.Google Scholar
Rasmussen, KL, van der Plicht, J, Cryer, FH, Doudna, G, Cross, FM, Strugnell, J. 2001. The effects of possible contamination on the radiocarbon dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls I: castor oil. Radiocarbon 43(1):127–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rasmussen, KL, van der Plicht, J, Doudna, G, Cross, FM, Strugnell, J. 2003. Reply to Israel Carmi: “Are the 14C dates of the Dead Sea Scrolls affected by castor oil contamination?” Radiocarbon 45(3):497–9.Google Scholar
Rasmussen, KL, van der Plicht, J, Doudna, G, Nielsen, F, Højrup, P, Stenby, EH, Pederson, CT. 2009. The effects of possible contamination on the radiocarbon dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls II: empirical methods to remove castor oil and suggestions for redating. Radiocarbon 51(3):1005–22.Google Scholar
Reed, R. 1972. Ancient Skins, Parchments and Leather. New York: Seminar Press.Google Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Baillie, MGL, Bard, E, Bayliss, A, Beck, JW, Blackwell, PG, Bronk Ramsey, C, Buck, CE, Burr, GS, Edwards, RL, Friedrich, M, Grootes, PM, Guilderson, TP, Hajdas, I, Heaton, T, Hogg, AG, Hughen, KA, Kaiser, KF, Kromer, B, McCormac, FG, Manning, SW, Reimer, RW, Richards, DA, Southon, JR, Talamo, S, Turney, CSM, van der Plicht, J, Weyhenmeyer, CE. 2009. IntCal09 and Marine09 radiocarbon age calibration curves, 0–50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 51(4):1111–50.Google Scholar
Santos, FJ, Gómez-Martínez, I, García-León, M. 2010. Radiocarbon dating of medieval manuscripts from the University of Seville. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 268(7–8):1038–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strlič, M, Cigić, IK, Rabin, I, Kolar, J, Pihlar, B, Cassar, M. 2009. Autoxidation of lipids in parchment. Polymer Degradation and Stability 94(6):886–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, DV. 1956. The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting. New York: Dover Publications.Google Scholar
van Klinken, GJ. 1999. Bone collagen quality indicators for palaeodietary and radiocarbon measurements. Journal of Archaeological Science 26(6):687–95.Google Scholar
Weiner, S, Kustanovich, Z, Gil-Av, E, Traub, W. 1980. Dead Sea Scroll parchments: unfolding of the collagen molecules and racemization of aspartic acid. Nature 287(5785):820–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar