Ancient organic materials

The age of ancient organic materials can be found by measuring the amount of carbon-14 that remains. 

Table 1 Summary of ifie main methods used in the identification and characterization of a selection of ancient organic materials ...

Biogenic theory—describes how natural gas and crude oil were formed using pressure or compression and heat on ancient organic material. 

Early students of the origin of life were misled because they believed that Earth was very young, in part because no methods were available for dating ancient events. Today, suitable methods exist for determining the age of materials that are billions of years old, and the fossil record of ancient organisms has vastly improved. The evolution of living organisms... 

The isotopic composition of carbon in carbonaceous organic material (kerogen) from ancient sedimentary rocks gives information on whether photosynthetic organisms were present during rock formation or not. It can also provide information on biological activities if cellular structures had already been destroyed. Sulphur can be used in a similar way (Schopf, 1999). 

Bitumen, asphalt, and other fossil organic materials such as coal, lignite and peat are found as natural deposits and have practically always been used in arts and handicrafts. Bitumen and asphalt were used in medicines and cosmetics, as pigments, as adhesives and in mummification balms in ancient Egypt [2,159,160]. 

Over the past decade, particular attention has been focused on the characterization of organic materials occurring, for example, as the residues of food, medicines and balms in archaeology, as adhesives, and as binders in paints. The mixture of many materials in ancient recipes and technologies, and the chemical changes induced by ageing make it even more difficult to study these samples. 

Thailand. In Organic Contents of Ancient Vessels Materials Analysis and Archaeological Investigation, ed. Biers, W.R. and McGovern, P.E., MASCA Research Papers in Science and Archaeology, Volume 7, The University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, pp. 59 67. 

One type of nuclear reaction can help scientists figure out the age of certain artifacts, such as dinosaur bones, mummies, or wooden tools left behind by ancient people. This technique, called carbon-14 dating, can be used on any organic material. Organic materials are things that are living or were once living. 

Coal A sedimentary or metamorphic rock composed of at least 50 wt % and 70 v % combustible organic materials. In most cases, the organic carbon was derived from ancient terrestrial plants. Coals are potentially useful fuels (compare with lignite, subbituminous coal, bituminous coal, and anthracite). 

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