Abstract We report the results of radiocarbon dating performed at the ETH laboratory on soft tissue of the mummified body found in September 1991 on the Hauslabjoch in the Ötztaler Alps (near the Similaun Mountain), South Tyrol. Over the past three decades, additional analyses of the sample, which had been stored frozen in a glass jar, have improved the precision of the first published radiocarbon ages. The frozen jar and the story of a mummified body found in the Alps fascinated visitors to the laboratory, mostly primary and high-school students. As part of educational projects, 11 samples were prepared and analyzed, yielding a combined radiocarbon age of 4525 ± 7 BP. This agreement with 4550 ± 27 BP, i.e., the very first results by Bonani et al. (1994), highlights the quality of the analysis performed decades ago. The combined age of all the 14 C ages measured at the ETH laboratory is 4527 ± 7 BP.

Abstract Between 2021 and 2023, the Center for Applied Isotope Studies (CAIS) tested over 500 samples for biobased carbon content under the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Biopreferred Program using the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) biobased testing standard D6866. We describe some of the novel approaches we used to prepare a diverse array of biobased products and summarize those radiocarbon test results and success rates in meeting the USDA Minimum Biobased Content (MBC).

Abstract La Viña rock shelter is a relevant archaeological site for understanding the late Middle and Upper Palaeolithic cultural development in northern Iberia as evidenced by the Mousterian, Aurignacian, Gravettian, Solutrean and Magdalenian bone and lithic industries, parietal engravings and human subsistence remains recovered during the 1980s excavations by J. Fortea in the western and central excavation areas. This paper aims to present 16 new radiocarbon dates, which are added to the previous radiocarbon dates obtained, using different analytical methods on bone and charcoal. These are now 57 dates in total. Bayesian models have been applied to assess and discern the chronology of the archaeological sequence in each sector of the rock shelter. The results provide details on the chronostratigraphy of each excavation area, documenting the duration of the different technocultural phases and confirming in-site postdepositional events.

Abstract Archaeological investigations in the Prut-Dniester region during the Roman Imperial Period have yielded numerous Sarmatian culture necropolises and isolated graves. Establishing a precise chronology for these remains has long been a challenge due to the limitations of typological dating alone. This study integrates radiocarbon ( 14 C) analysis of 11 human bone samples from selected funerary contexts with traditional typological methods, refining the chronological framework of the Sarmatian culture in this region. The radiocarbon analyses were subjected to Bayesian modeling, which allowed for the delineation of these samples into distinct phases, thereby adjusting and improving the periodization established through traditional methods. The results not only confirm but also refine previously established chronologies, offering deeper insights into the cultural, social, and economic dynamics of Sarmatian communities in the Prut-Dniester Barbaricum. These findings represent a significant contribution to the broader understanding of the Roman Imperial Period beyond the Eastern Limes.

Abstract Antiquities in the Middle East region face various threats, including illicit trade, theft, and forgery. This research examines a leather manuscript obtained by the Palestinian Tourist Police following the arrest of an antiquities smuggler. The manuscript contains Phoenician inscriptions along with symbols such as the Menorah, Shofar, and a plant branch. Radiocarbon dating using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) techniques determined the manuscript’s date to be post-1950 CE. Therefore, the results indicate that the manuscript is a modern forgery, likely created for commercial purposes. Additionally, the text contains several grammatical errors, further supporting the conclusion that it is not an authentic historical artifact.

Abstract Some arboreal monocotyledons, such as the dragon trees ( Dracaena sp.), can develop impressive trunks (>5 m perimeter) through a lateral meristem, but their ages are difficult to determine. We report here a series of calibrated radiocarbon ( 14 C) dates obtained from a stem section of Dracaena draco (L.) L. subsp. draco growing on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. This radial section, about 40 cm long, was cut on October 18, 2023, from a large (∼60 cm diameter) branch that had fallen off the main stem of a privately owned dragon tree. In order to apply 14 C calibration, and given the lack of clearly defined growth layers, we collected 33 sequential samples at ∼1-cm intervals along this radial section. A first attempt at wiggle-matching resulted in a calibrated dating of ∼1787 CE for the innermost sample. Because we only knew the spatial distance, but not the time interval, between 14 C dates, we further applied calibration tools commonly used for sedimentary sequences. The Poisson-process deposition model in the software OxCal resulted in a calibrated age for the innermost sample of 1776–1798 CE (2σ). The classic and Bayesian age-depth deposition models available as R packages dated the innermost sample to, respectively, 1775–1862 and 1768–1813 CE. Because the branch was at a height of ∼3 m from the ground, and its section did not reach the pith, our results suggest that this dragon tree was ∼300 years old in 2023.

Abstract Carbon-14 ( 14 C) is an important contributor to the collective effective dose to the public due to releases from nuclear power plants (NPPs). In Sweden, only airborne emissions of 14 C from NPPs are currently routinely monitored, and the existing data on waterborne 14 C discharges are limited. A recent study of 14 C in brown algae ( Fucus spp.) in Swedish coastal waters showed higher F 14 C values collected at Ringhals NPP, on the Swedish west coast, than expected. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing if blue mussels ( Mytilus edulis ) could be used to retrospectively estimate the 14 C concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in seawater at three sites. A method was developed to extract the fibrous layer that forms visible annual structures in the shells. All samples were analyzed with accelerator mass spectrometry and the results compared with 14 C data from Fucus spp. For one of the analyzed shells (structures from 1974–1978), from the site Särdal, F 14 C in Fucus spp. and M. edulis agreed very well. For another shell (1972–1978), shell structures from some of the earlier years displayed up to 6% lower F 14 C than Fucus spp. F 14 C in one shell from a remote site, Båteviken, only had small annual variations (2017–2022: F 14 C = 1.070 ± 0.015 (1 σ)). Two shells from Ringhals NPP had higher average F 14 C, and a significant temporal variability (2014–2022: F 14 C = 1.427 ± 0.268 (1 σ)). Difficulties in unambiguous identification of the annual structures in the shells, as well as the future potential of this method, are discussed.

Abstract The cycling of carbon in riverine systems is a critical component of global carbon cycle research. However, the sources and performances of riverine carbon in the Qinling Mountains, a pivotal hydrological nexus in China, remain poorly understood. This study investigates the seasonal variations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in the Tianyu River within the Qinling Mountains. By utilizing a combination of carbon isotopic signatures (Δ 14 C-δ 13 C) and the stepped-combustion method, we examined the sources of DOC and the contribution ratio of each end-member. Our findings reveal that: (1) the concentrations and dual carbon isotope ratios of DOC in the Tianyu River are influenced by regional climatic factors, exhibiting distinct seasonal patterns; (2) the 14 C age of DOC in the Tianyu River is comparatively older than the global average for rivers but younger than that of China’s three major rivers (the Yellow, Yangtze, and Pearl Rivers); and (3) the DOC mainly comes from exogenous sources, with a proportion of about 85.8%–88.4%. Vegetation and riverine sediments are identified as primary contributors. These findings suggest that exemplary ecological preservation exists within the Qinling region while operating within an efficient carbon cycling system. This investigation provides initial insights into how regional climatic conditions influence riverine carbon cycles and enhances our understanding of biogeochemical processes related to carbon.

Abstract Understanding the developmental and occupational histories of Ancestral Maya settlements is crucial for interpreting their roles in broader social, political, and economic dynamics. This article presents 62 new accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dates from residential groups in the outlying settlement zone at Alabama, a major inland Ancestral Maya center in East-Central Belize. Alabama is a rare example of a “boomtown” in the Maya lowlands, experiencing rapid development primarily during the 8th and 9th century CE, corresponding to the Late to Terminal Classic periods. Using Bayesian stratigraphic sequence models, we construct detailed developmental and occupational histories for the townsite, clarifying the timing of its development, occupation, and abandonment. Our analysis reveals complex residential histories, confirming a rapid tempo of Late and Terminal Classic settlement growth and indicating continuities in occupation into the 10th century CE and beyond. Furthermore, we identify two separate periods of occupation during the Early Classic (cal AD 345–545) and the Late Postclassic (cal AD 1325–1475), demonstrating that parts of the settlement were inhabited at different intervals over many centuries. These results offer the first detailed deep-history perspective for the East-Central Belize region, establishing a framework that addresses challenges in chronology-building posed by poor pottery preservation and the complexities of earthen-core architecture at the site and enabling future chronological modeling in this lesser-known frontier of the eastern Maya lowlands.