Radiocarbon Dating & Archaeological Age Calculator
Solves radioactive Carbon-14 decay for archaeological specimens based on the Libby half-life (5,730 years), computing uncalibrated radiocarbon years Before Present (BP), calendar date (BCE/CE), and historical epoch classification.
Radiocarbon Dating & Archaeological Age Calculator
Solve radioactive Carbon-14 decay for uncalibrated radiocarbon years Before Present (BP) and historical era matching
What is Radiocarbon Dating?
Radiocarbon dating is an radiometric dating method that uses the radioactive isotope carbon-14 (¹⁴C) to determine the age of carbonaceous organic materials up to approximately 50,000 years old.
While alive, organisms maintain a constant ¹⁴C/¹²C ratio with the atmosphere. Upon death, ¹⁴C intake stops and the trapped ¹⁴C decays exponentially with a half-life of 5,730 years.
Formula & Step-by-Step Calculation
Exponential radioactive decay law using Libby mean lifetime τ = 8,267 years where %pMC is percent Modern Carbon.
Worked Step-by-Step Examples
Wood sample has 25.0% Modern Carbon remaining (%pMC = 25.0)
Common Real-World & Academic Use Cases
- ✓ Archaeological dating of ancient bones, wood, charcoal, and textiles
- ✓ Paleoclimatology and Pleistocene-Holocene transition studies
- ✓ Anthropology and human migration timeline verification
- ✓ Museum artifact authenticity verification
How to Use the Radiocarbon Dating & Archaeological Age Calculator
Input Carbon-14 Activity
Enter the percentage of Modern Carbon (%pMC), specific activity (dpm/g C), or fraction remaining.
Calculate Age
View calculated radiocarbon age in years Before Present (BP) and calibrated calendar era (BCE/CE).
Explore Archaeological Timeline
Inspect where the specimen falls on the historical timeline (Modern, Classical, Iron Age, Bronze Age, Neolithic, Paleolithic).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does 'BP' mean in radiocarbon dating?
'BP' stands for 'Before Present', where by international scientific convention 'Present' is fixed at January 1, 1950 (prior to large-scale atmospheric nuclear weapons testing).
Q: Why is the upper limit of Carbon-14 dating around 50,000 years?
After 50,000 years (nearly 9 half-lives), less than 0.2% of the original ¹⁴C remains, making the residual radioactive signal too faint to distinguish reliably from background laboratory contamination.