IFAN Radiocarbon Laboratory Measurements I

Abstract

ABSTRACT.Results obtained from a liquid scintillation counter using BGO (Bi 4 Ge 3 0 12 ) tubes have produced more precise radiocarbon dates in our laboratory. Duplicate analyses confirm the electronic stability of the counter with a background of 0.1 cpm. Our 14 C dates agree well with those from another laboratory (Paris 6-LOCEAN). Most of the 14 C dates in this study were obtained on samples taken from different archaeological sites. Calibration of the various dates with the appropriate software (CALIB 5.0 in our case) allows better interpretation of the results and their importance in this understudied region. In this paper, we investigate the performance of the counter by analyzing samples from archaeological and marine sites in Senegal and Mauritania, and report the results in our first laboratory date list.

Ifan CH.DIOP Radiocarbon Laboratory Measurements Ii

“…Some results have previously been obtained at sites such as Khant in northern Senegal, discovered by A Ravisé in 1969 (Ravisé 1975). These results have allowed the study of chronological sequence of a small entropic valley in this zone called Bolé (Ndeye et al 2011). Results were also obtained at Mauritanian sites and have made it possible to date the consumption of shellfish in order to determine the Nouakchottan transgression (Vernet 1993).…”