The ages of mortars and plaster can help reveal the history of monuments, their construction, or restoration times. However, these anthropogenic carbonates pose a challenge when it comes to separation of the atmospheric radiocarbon (14C) signal of the CO2 fixed in the mortar at the time of consolidation, i.e., the time of binder formation. The variety and heterogeneity of mortars require individual assessments of each sample and 14C results. Here we present our current preparation method and summarize experience based on results collected during the last 20 years of mortar dating at the ETH laboratory.

The bomb-peak signal preserved in the Arches® cotton paper was used to detect art forgeries imitating the work of Chinese artist T’ang Haywen (1927–1991). The dating of seven legitimate T’ang Haywen art pieces showed that the timing of the paper production was consistent with the artist’s use of Arches® paper starting in the early 1980s. The measured F14C of the paper from the 14 suspected forged paintings shows that the support material was produced in the last decade (2008–2011), therefore the art pieces could not be genuine T’ang Haywen works.

Natural textiles provide suitable material for radiocarbon dating. Short-lived organic matter is usually involved and, if 14C dating is applied to pieces that are stylistically well dated, a better understanding of 14C dating of this type of material can be gained. This study presents some examples of dating that support the stylistic dates. Repeated analyses illustrate the robustness of the standard treatment applied to the textiles.

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.