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Foraminiferous Limestone in 14C Dating of Mortar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Tomasz Goslar*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznań, Poland Poznań Radiocarbon Laboratory, ul. Rubież 46, 61-612 Poznań, Poland
Danuta Nawrocka
Affiliation:
Institute of Geology, Department of Dynamic and Regional Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Maków Polnych 16, 61-606 Poznań, Poland
Justyna Czernik
Affiliation:
Poznań Radiocarbon Laboratory, ul. Rubież 46, 61-612 Poznań, Poland
*
Corresponding author. Email: goslar@radiocarbon.pl
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Abstract

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Mortar as a mixture of binder and aggregate can be reliably dated with radiocarbon if the applied preparation method allows one to eliminate unburnt carbonate fragments, bearing 14C-depleted carbon and causing overestimation of 14C age. To avoid these problems, separation of specific grain-size fractions of mortar and 14C analysis of the CO2 portions collected in different time intervals of the acid-leaching reaction is usually helpful. In the present paper, we demonstrate that the rate of the leaching reaction of mortars with dense carbonate aggregate differs from that of mortars with crumbled limestone and scattered shells (e.g. of foraminifera). Verification of the obtained 14C dates against historical sources shows that for mortars rich in foraminiferous limestone, a reaction rate-based chemical elimination of “dead carbon” may appear impossible.

Type
Methods and Developments
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

References

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