Scientists use radiocarbon dating on treerings from the Mediteranean region

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Manning is lead author of a new paper that points out the need for an important new refinement to the technique. The outcomes of his study, published March 18 in Science Advances, have relevance for understanding key dates in Mediterranean history and prehistory, including numerous improtant historic events.

Radiocarbon dating measures the decomposition of carbon-14, an unstable isotope of carbon created by cosmic radiation and found in all organic matter. Cosmic radiation, however, is not constant at all times. To account for fluctuations of cosmic radiation in the Earth's atmosphere, the radiocarbon content of known-age tree rings was measured backward in time from the 20th century, for thousands of years. 

Growing seasons play a role, the paper says. The radiocarbon level on Earth varies according to the season; there's a winter low and a summer high, Manning said. The carbon in a tree ring reflects when the tree was photosynthesizing and, therefore, taking carbon out of the atmosphere.

Even small date offsets -- 50 years or less -- are important for building the timeline of the Mediterranean region, which, in the last two millennia B.C., was a hotbed of interrelated cultures. 

The study also addresses a debate over the date of a massive volcanic eruption on Santorini. This much-studied event is dated around 1500 B.C. by archaeologists but earlier -- 1630 to 1600 B.C. -- by scientists. Manning said the new findings rule out the date of 1500 B.C., but may also modify the science. Besides, the study also has ramifications for understanding which culture influenced the Minoans and Mycenaeans, which led to ancient Greece.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200319141036.htm

[darkchylde 14,857]

i've read that twice and i still have no idea what it means but it sounds like the prelude of an x-men film

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1 minute ago, darkchylde said:

i've read that twice and i still have no idea what it means but it sounds like the prelude of an x-men film

They used carbon-dating on trees from different regions (especially Germany and Central Turkey) in order to analyse the historic timeline. But in essence they they started to question how accurate this technique is because the amount of carbon in a tree is very dependent on the environment, weather, seasons, cosmic radiation etc. Therefore even small differences can led to huge mistakes in a timeline and this can be messy in a region where so many events and cultures happened and intersected. 

Secondly, they used their findings to settle down a dispute between archaelogist and scientists that can't agree on when a Santorini vulnicatic explosion happened (and they concluded archaeologists were right).

[darkchylde 14,857]

2 minutes ago, FfFfFfFF said:

They used carbon-dating on trees from different regions (especially Germany and Central Turkey) in order to analyse the historic timeline. But in essence they they started to question how accurate this technique is because the amount of carbon in a tree is very dependent on the environment, weather, seasons, cosmic radiation etc. Therefore even small differences can led to huge mistakes in a timeline and this can be messy in a region where so many events and cultures happened and intersected. 

Secondly, they used their findings to settle down a dispute between archaelogist and scientists that can't agree on when a Santorini vulnicatic explosion happened (and they concluded archaeologists were right).

so basically they just realised their methods weren't effective for a number of factors involved in radiation? what do they have left now?

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1 minute ago, darkchylde said:

so basically they just realised their methods weren't effective for a number of factors involved in radiation? what do they have left now?

They have realised it wasn't completely effective but is still to an extend effective. Using different standards for different regions according to their particular whether and amount of cosmic radiations is what I assume they mean by using ''diffferent curves''. They don't seem to want to replace this method, only to ''refine'' it.

[Chromatislaps 34,854]

aren't they supposed to sit at home during this crisis?

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5 minutes ago, Flopplause said:

aren't they supposed to sit at home during this crisis?

The study itself probably happened a while ago, it's just that is was published now.

There is one archaeologist in my country who started to dig in his own garden because of the lockdown and found a hairpin from centuries ago.