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AMS 14C DATING OF THE MAYAN CODEX OF MEXICO REVISITED

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2020

Corina Solís ,
Miguel Á Martínez Carrillo Open the ORCID record for Miguel Á Martínez Carrillo [Opens in a new window] ,
María Rodríguez-Ceja ,
Efraín Chávez ,
J Andrés Christen  and
A J Timothy Jull Open the ORCID record for A J Timothy Jull [Opens in a new window]
Corina Solís*
Affiliation:
LEMA, Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. P.O. Box 20-364, CDMX, México
Miguel Á Martínez Carrillo
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Circuito Exterior S/N, 04510 CDMX, México
María Rodríguez-Ceja
Affiliation:
LEMA, Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. P.O. Box 20-364, CDMX, México
Efraín Chávez
Affiliation:
LEMA, Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. P.O. Box 20-364, CDMX, México
J Andrés Christen
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación en Matemáticas AC (CIMAT-CONACYT), Jalisco S/N, Guanajuato, GT, 36023, México
A J Timothy Jull
Affiliation:
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721, USA University of Arizona AMS Laboratory, Tucson, AZ85721, USA Hertelendi Laboratory of Environmental Studies, Isotope Climatology and Environmental Research Centre (ICER), Institute for Nuclear Research, Debrecen4026, Hungary
*
*Corresponding author. Email: corina@fisica.unam.mx.
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Abstract

The Mayan Codex of Mexico (MCM), the only Mayan codex found in the 20th century, was unveiled in 1971 during the Ancient Maya Calligraphy exhibition at Club Grolier. The codex comprises 10 pages of bark paper in accordion format, coated with a layer of plaster on both sides. It illustrates the synodic cycles of Venus, with its four phases. Since its discovery, the MCM has been subject to controversy and discussions about its authenticity. In 2016, a group of specialists led by Baltazar Brito chief of the National Library of Anthropology and History, carried out an exhaustive study of the codex with the purpose of determining its temporality and authenticity. In this work, the pre-Columbian authenticity of the codex is verified by the radiocarbon (14C) technique using AMS. Two cleaning procedures were contrasted: the standard acid-base-acid (ABA) protocol and a second one with Soxhlet plus ABA. Results obtained when samples were prepared following ABA protocol only, placed the age of the bark paper between 991 and 1147 cal AD. The second cleaning method with Soxhlet plus ABA, resulted in younger ages, between 1159 and 1261 cal AD. However, we consider that when Sohxlet is used as part of the cleaning protocol, organic contaminants are reduced to a minimum, and 14C dates are more reliable. These results indicate that the vegetal support of the MCM belongs to Postclassical Mayan period and place it as the oldest known manuscript of America found to date.

Keywords

Grolier CodexMayan Codexradiocarbon
Type
Conference Paper
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 62 , Issue 6: Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium , December 2020 , pp. 1543 - 1550
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Copyright
© 2020 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona

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Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 9th Radiocarbon & Archaeology Symposium, Athens, GA, USA, 20–24 May 2019

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