Improved Sample Preparation Methodology on Lime Mortar for Reliable 14C Dating
Luis Ángel, María Cruz, Ainhoa Alonso Olazabal, Maite Insausti, Xabier Murelaga, Alex Ibaez · InTech eBooks · 2012
IntroductionDating ancient buildings and establishing construction phases are important issues for archaeologists and cultural heritage researchers alike.When using radiometric dating to this end, the fundamental requirement consists in acquiring suitable datable material that records the age of the studied object.Plaster and mortar are composite building materials comprising a mixture of binder and aggregates.Binders in archaeological buildings consist of lime and gypsum, whereas aggregates contain inorganic and organic materials (Sickels, 1981).The most common organic component is charcoal, most likely corresponding to residues of the burning process, especially when a continuous wood-fired kiln was used.Up until now, building lime, sand, pottery, and organic materials from mortars have been used in dating (Folk & Valastro, 1976;Tubbs & Kinder, 1990; Heinemeier et al., 1997a;