Radiocarbon and mammoth bones: What's in a date

The Radiocarbon dating method has developed into a reliable dating method for organic sample materials. The latest calibration curve released enables numerical dating covering the complete dating range of the method. However, the category of fossil bones is the subject of discussion concerning validity of the dates, in particular for the oldest part of the 14C timescale. This is a complex interplay of sample material integrity, contamination issues and proper blanks. In practice, a safe upper limit for 14C dates of bone material appears to be 45,000 BP (50,000 calBP).