From revolution to convention: the past, present and future of radiocarbon dating

Radiocarbon dates form the basis of many archaeological chronologies that span the last 50,000 years. Since the first studies in the early 1950s the method has changed almost beyond recognition, with the major developments often described as revolutions. Dates are now more likely to be measured in an AMS than a radiation counter. This is allowing ever-smaller samples to be subjected to increasingly robust pretreatment protocols, improving both accuracy and the range of samples that can be directly dated. A terrestrial calibration curve now extends to 50,000 years, allowing more confident calibration throughout the late Pleistocene. Finally, rather than simply dating a single sample, it is becoming increasingly common to combine large numbers of radiocarbon dates to create chronological models designed to test specific hypotheses. Development is continuing along these lines, aiming to expand the types of datable materials and improve accuracy and precision, whilst decreasing sample size and cost. However, the largest and most pressing problem facing the field is appropriate publication of dates. Radiocarbon's long history means a range of methods and approaches exist, but the scant details published alongside the majority of dates means assessment of their quality is impossible, either in terms of association with archaeology or accuracy of the number. Whether this is due to a lack of education, journal guidelines or laboratory reporting, work must focus on improving the situation. If we cannot improve publication, many of the thousands of dates produced every year will be unusable in the future. This would be a terrible waste of what is a valuable resource of increasingly high quality chronological information.