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Radiocarbon Measurements of Paper: A Forensic Case Study to Determine the Absolute Age of Paper in Documents and Works of Art

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2017

C Matthias Huels ,
Sabine Pensold  and
Enrico Pigorsch
C Matthias Huels*
Affiliation:
Leibniz-Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research, Max-Eyth-Str.11-13, 24118 Kiel, Germany
Sabine Pensold
Affiliation:
PTS Papiertechnische Stiftung, Pirnaer Straße 37, 01809 Heidenau, Germany
Enrico Pigorsch
Affiliation:
PTS Papiertechnische Stiftung, Pirnaer Straße 37, 01809 Heidenau, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. Email: mhuels@leibniz.uni-kiel.de.
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Abstract

In a case study to assess the possibilities and limitations of determining the exact age of paper, we measured radiocarbon (14C) concentrations in bulk-paper cellulose and starch extracts from 20 known-age paper samples of the last 65 yr. As expected, 14C concentrations in single-seasonal grown starch extracts are in reasonably good agreement with post-bomb atmospheric 14C. In contrast, 14C concentrations in bulk-paper cellulose indicate apparent admixtures of tree-ring fibers spanning up to >50 yr. In a forensic investigation, combining 14C results from single-seasonal components like starch with those from long-lived fibers, could potentially enhance the precision of paper production-date estimates for samples made after 1955.

Keywords

paper cellulosepaper starch extractpost-bomb atmospheric 14Cradiocarbon AMS dating
Type
Method Development
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 59 , Special Issue 5: 8th International Symposium, Edinburgh, 27 June – 1 July, 2016 Part 1 of 2 , October 2017 , pp. 1553 - 1560
Copyright
© 2017 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 8th Radiocarbon & Archaeology Symposium, Edinburgh, UK, 27 June–1 July 2016

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