Archaeological materials, carbon

Some radioisotopes are continuously being produced by the bombardment of atoms on the surface of the earth or in its atmosphere with extraterrestrial particles or radiation. One of these is carbon-14, also known as radiocarbon, which is widely used for dating archaeological materials (see Textbox 55). Many radioisotopes that are not primordial or are not created by natural processes are now produced artificially using specialized equipment many of the "artificial" isotopes are of use for probing and analyzing materials. 

Sampling. Concentrations of carbon in archaeological materials range from very large in charcoal to less than 1% in metals, foundry slags, and pottery. The size of the sample needed for analysis, thus, depends on the nature of the material as well as its age. The analytical procedure used to isolate the carbon may result in significant losses during extraction and chemical conversion. Samples should always be taken in sufficient quantity for replicate determinations and comparison with control specimens. 

Amino acid Simple organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and in certain cases sulfur. Twenty amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Analysis The search for information and pattern in archaeological materials. 

Carbon has seven isotopes. In 1961 the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry adopted the isotope carbon-12 as the basis for atomic weights. Carbon-14, an isotope with a half-life of 5715 years, has been widely used to date such materials as wood, archaeological specimens, etc. 

Efflorescence. The solvent properties of water also causes efflorescence, a phenomenon whereby soluble or slightly soluble substances migrate from the interior of porous solids to the surface, where they precipitate. Efflorescence is an important factor in the decay and disintegration of many rocks, and of human-made porous materials such as ceramics, and even of some types of glass. On archaeological objects, efflorescence generally occurs mostly as a white, powdery, but sometimes consolidated accretion on the surface of the objects. Calcite, a form of calcium carbonate, is one of the most common substances to effloresce on archaeological ceramics. 

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