Radiocarbon wiggle-match dating in the intertidal zone

Jacobsson, P. , Hale, A., Hamilton, D. and Cook, G. (2019) Radiocarbon wiggle-match dating in the intertidal zone. Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 14(1), pp. 61-70. (doi: 10.1080/15564894.2017.1383323)

Abstract

Radiocarbon wiggle-match dating is a technique that can combine the versatility of radiocarbon dating with chronological information from tree-rings. This makes it useful in contexts where timbers are preserved, but dendrochronological dating is impossible. As intertidal and marine timbers are waterlogged, this can favor their preservation and hence allow wiggle-match 14C dating, which can be of significant help in deriving relatively precise chronologies for a range of coastal structures. As the technique depends on making multiple radiocarbon measurements towards a single date, efficiency in application is the key and hence a number of practical considerations need to be taken into account in advance of conducting a dating program. This paper discusses some of these practical concerns and reviews them in the context of the intertidal crannogs in the Firth of Clyde on the west coast of Scotland.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Cook, Professor Gordon and Hamilton, Professor Derek and Jacobsson, Dr Piotr
• Authors: Jacobsson, P., Hale, A., Hamilton, D., and Cook, G.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Journal Name: Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1556-4894
• ISSN (Online): 1556-1828
• Published Online: 27 November 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC
• First Published: First published in Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology 14:61-70
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy