Direct radiocarbon dating of rock art

Abstract

In 14C dating of pictographs, we use a low-temperature oxygen plasma coupled with high-vacuum techniques to selectively remove carbon-containing material in the paint without contamination from the rock substrate, even if limestone (CaCO3). In addition to one previously published measurement, we analyzed two more pictograph samples, which are in accord with archaeological inference. A sample of known age charcoal, also processed by our method, matched the control. -from Authors