TIL carbon dating isn't always reliable for older sites

Went to a talk last month at the local museum. Archaeologist said they dated a wooden post from the neolithic period. Carbon dating put it at 4000 BC. Dendrochronology said 3500 BC. The difference was a 500 year gap. Turns out old wood can skew results if the tree was already dead for centuries. So now I'm questioning how many timelines are actually off by that much. Anyone else run into this problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_rivera639d ago

I saw the same thing at an Aztec dig in Mexico last year.

reese_singh879d ago

A buddy of mine saw something real similar at a dig near Chichen Itza.