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Determining age on a specific time scale, such as years B.C. or A.D. Radiocarbon dating provides an absolute date, with an error range of plus or minus 25 years or so. Radiocarbon dating can only be used on organic materials such as charred plant materials, bone, or shell that are found in context at the site. Those dates can then be applied to the associated occupation.

Standard dating requires a sample of up to 5 grams (or a piece of wood charcoal about the size of your thumb). Newer AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) dating can date something as small as a single seed. There are only 17 radiocarbon labs in the US, most at major educational institutions, as the process involves specialized equipment and an understanding of nuclear physics. While archaeologists submit samples to the labs, we are far from the only clients. Dating is key to most environmental and natural disciplines.

Link to more information about Absolute Dating.