<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Lime mortars may contain carbon from different origins. If the mortars are made of totally burnt lime, radiocarbon dating yields the true age of building construction. The presence of carbonaceous aggregates gives the so-called dead carbon effect, which may generate older ages. Another source of carbon is charcoal present in mortars. An attempt has been made to apply the radiocarbon method to mortars of archaeologically estimated age from the Dead Sea region. Petrographical analyses of these samples show the carbonaceous character of the binder and large amounts of limestone aggregate. Determination of the mineral composition of the mortars and comparison with the geology of the surrounding, allows the provenance of the raw materials to be identified. They probably represent the Cretaceous rocks of the Judea Group.</p><p>Separate radiocarbon dates were made on bulk mortar samples, binder, charcoal fragments and separated fractions from mortars. In the case of binder-aggregate mixture the reservoir effect correction has been applied.</p></abstract>

Lime mortars may contain carbon from different origins. If the mortars are made of totally burnt lime, radiocarbon dating yields the true age of building construction. The presence of carbonaceous aggregates gives the so-called dead carbon effect, which may generate older ages. Another source of carbon is charcoal present in mortars. An attempt has been made to apply the radiocarbon method to mortars of archaeologically estimated age from the Dead Sea region. Petrographical analyses of these samples show the carbonaceous character of the binder and large amounts of limestone aggregate. Determination of the mineral composition of the mortars and comparison with the geology of the surrounding, allows the provenance of the raw materials to be identified. They probably represent the Cretaceous rocks of the Judea Group.Separate radiocarbon dates were made on bulk mortar samples, binder, charcoal fragments and separated fractions from mortars. In the case of binder-aggregate mixture the reservoir effect correction has been applied.

Cretaceous aggregate and reservoir effect in dating of binding materials

Institute of Geology, Department of Dynamic and Regional Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Makow Polnych 16, 61-606, Poznań, Poland

Institute of Physics, Department of Radioisotopes, Radiocarbon Laboratory, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 2, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland

Poznań Radiocarbon Laboratory, ul. Rubież 46, 61-612, Poznań, Poland

School of Engineering and Science, University of The West of Scotland, High Street, PA1 2BE, Paisley, Scotland

Geochronometria

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Cretaceous aggregate and reservoir effect in dating of binding materials"}

Lime mortars may contain carbon from different origins. If the mortars are made of totally burnt lime, radiocarbon dating yields the true age of building...

Cretaceous aggregate and reservoir effect in dating of binding materials

Published Online: Dec 27, 2012

Page range: 33 - 41

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13386-012-0020-6

Keywords
mortar dating, archaeometry, charcoal, radiocarbon dating

© 2012 Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Cretaceous aggregate and reservoir effect in dating of binding materials

Published Online: Dec 27, 2012

Page range: 33 - 41

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13386-012-0020-6

Keywordsmortar dating, archaeometry, charcoal, radiocarbon dating

© 2012 Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
mortar dating, archaeometry, charcoal, radiocarbon dating