The following list of dates contains all measurements made during 1973, ie, since our last list (R, 1973, v 15, p 451–468). We have installed this year a Nuclear Enterprises NIM system to be used with our 2.5L Oeschger-type proportional counter (Philips), in addition to our 6L and 1L proportional counters which have worked consistently with Beckman Lowbeta electronics. The Philips counter has been calibrated relative to the Beckman electronics and we are now calibrating it relative to the NIM system.

We follow the same method of radiocarbon dating used in the Gif-Sur-Yvette dating laboratory. Samples are inspected and foreign material removed. Wood and charcoal samples are treated with 0.1N ammonium hydroxide and 0.1N hydrochloric acid. Shells are treated with 10% hydrochloric acid to eliminate surface contamination. Bone samples are treated with 0.1N ammonium hydroxide to remove humic acids and 10% HCl to remove inorganic carbonate and retain collagen for radiocarbon measurements. Sample CO2 is produced by combustion in oxygen. The stream of gases passes over CuO at 600°C to insure complete oxidation of C to CO2 and through traps containing, respectively, silver nitrate and sulfuric chromic acid solution for purification; barium carbonate is precipited from barium hydroxide bubblers. After filtering and drying, CO2 is liberated from barium carbonate by sulfuric acid. The CO2 is used to fill a 1.2L steel proportional counter at 740mm Hg. Age calculations are based on a 14C half-life of 5568 ± yr and 0.95 of activity of the NBS oxalic acid standard; ages are quoted in yr before 1950. Finite ages are quoted with 1σ criterion corresponding to the standard deviation based only on counting errors; the maximum age is quoted with 4 σ criterion above background.

Most of the 14C measurements reported here were made between October 1972 and October 1973. Equipment, measurement, and treatment of samples are the same as reported previously (R, 1968, v 10, p 36–37; 1970, v 12, p 534).

The 14C dates given below are continued from our previous list (R, 1972, v 14, p 223–238), and results obtained mainly during 1971–2 are described. A 2.7L stainless steel counter and a 3.3L copper counter are used as previously, yielding background counting rates of 6.9 and 6.0 cpm, respectively, when filled with dead CO2 at ca 1.8 atm. Dates have been calculated on the basis of the 14C half-life of 5568 yr and 95% of NBS oxalic acid is modern standard. No correction has been made for any of the samples in this list.

This list includes age measurements carried out from January 1972 to December 1973 with previously described CO2-proportional counters (Alessio et al, 1970). All archaeologic and geologic samples but one come from Italian territory.

The SMU Radiocarbon Laboratory is operated by the Department of Geological Sciences within the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man. One laboratory room contains the benzene synthesis system where samples are pretreated and converted to CO2 in a standard way and gas is purified after the procedures of Broecker (1957) by passage through hot CuO, 10% AgNO3 solution, chromic acid, hot copper, and P2O5 via cryogenic pumping with liquid nitrogen. Purified CO2 is then converted to Li2C2 which is hydrolized to C2H2 and converted to C6H6 catalytically following the procedures of Noakes et al (1966). Carbon dioxide and benzene yields are routinely in excess of 90% in both cases.

Most of the 14C measurements reported here were made between August 1970 and August 1972. Chemical treatment of samples and counting technique remain as described previously (R, 1968, v 10, p 144–148; 1971, v 13, p 97–102). We have added Houtermans-Oeschger type multi-anode anticoincidence gas proportional counter, manufactured by Tokyo Atomic, Japan. The central counter tube, which has several small holes, 5mm diam, is made of aluminized polyethylene foil, 0.06mm thick, with 72mm inside diam and 300mm sensitive length. The external counter tube is made of stainless steel 4mm thick, with 93mm inside diam and 350mm length. The anode wires of both counters are also made of stainless steel 0.05mm diam. The counters are surrounded by a paraffin shield 50mm thick and encased in a 250mm shield of steel on all sides. Acetylene is used as the counting gas at 753.3mm Hg (22 ± 1°C). Counting rates of background and 95% activity of NBS oxalic acid standard were 1.25 ± 0.02cpm and 14.39 ± 0.12cpm, respectively.

The following list includes samples dated in 1973. Benzene is used as the carrier of natural 14C activity as previously described (Punning et al, 1973). We used both 1-channel and 2-channel scintillation devices. The detector shield comprises 10cm lead. Around the detector we put 16 Geiger-Mueller type counters in anticoincidence circuit with output signals from detector. It decreased the average background ca 20 to 40%.

A radiocarbon facility has been installed at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to support interdisciplinary studies including archaeologic, archaeometric, geophysical, and geologic research. The laboratory was built between 1970 and 1973. Initially, a sample pretreatment and combustion system designed for a proportional CO2 counting system was installed. It was designed after concepts developed at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and New Zealand (Institute of Nuclear Sciences) Laboratories, and began processing samples in November 1972.

The radiocarbon dating facility is part of the UM Geochronology laboratory housed in the Department of Geology, University of Miami, Main Campus. The laboratory was established to carry out and support research in Pleistocene marine geology, particularly in the Caribbean, and to act as a specialized teaching facility of geochronologic research using radiometric age dating techniques.