Radiocarbon calibration

Radiocarbon calibration converts measured carbon-14 ages into calendar-date estimates by comparing them with reference records of past atmospheric carbon-14 levels.

Radiocarbon dating: A method of estimating the age of once-living material from its remaining carbon-14. Calibration is the step that converts its measured radiocarbon age into calendar time.
Carbon-14: A radioactive isotope of carbon with six protons and eight neutrons. Its decay provides the clock behind the measurement being calibrated.
Dendrochronology: The dating and study of annual growth rings in trees. Precisely dated tree rings anchor much of the atmospheric calibration record.
Archaeological dating: The establishment of calendar chronologies for human activity from archaeological evidence. Calibrated dates place sites and events on calendar timelines.
Southern Hemisphere radiocarbon calibration: The calibration of Southern Hemisphere samples using reference records that account for regional atmospheric differences. Its curve differs from Northern Hemisphere calibration because atmospheric carbon-14 is not identical worldwide.
Calibration curve: A record relating radiocarbon ages to calendar ages across a span of time. The curve supplies the reference relationship used in each conversion.
Radioactive decay: The spontaneous transformation of unstable atomic nuclei into more stable configurations. Carbon-14 decay gives measurements an age scale that is not identical to calendar time.
Tree-ring dating: The assignment of calendar years to tree rings by matching patterns between trees. It gives wood samples calendar ages independent of their radiocarbon content.
Bayesian chronological modeling: The use of Bayesian statistics to estimate event dates while incorporating chronological constraints. It combines calibrated measurements with stratigraphy, historical limits, and sample order.
Marine radiocarbon dating: Radiocarbon dating of organisms or materials that acquired carbon from marine environments. Marine carbon often appears older than atmospheric carbon, requiring different calibration and corrections.

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