The Organisation of Egyptian Antiquities believes that Egypt should play an important role in current international research in the field of radiocarbon dating of archaeologic samples. Thus, such a laboratory was established within the Center of Research and Conservation of Antiquities, CRCA, Cairo.

The Dublin radiocarbon dating laboratory was operational in 1958 to 1960 and the scintillation counter system used at that time has previously been described (Delaney and McAulay, 1959). The system is now operational again and has been modified to date samples after conversion to benzene. The electronic equipment differs from that previously used only insofar as more compact and drift-free transistorized units are now employed. With these modifications, considerable improvements in sensitivity and accuracy are obtained. 5ml benzene, diluted with a commercial toluene based scintillant is used in a 12.5ml silica cell for the detection of 14C disintegrations. The background count-rate varies inversely with the barometric pressure (ca 2.6% cm–1Hg). The background is ca 3.4cpm, and the detection efficiency is ca 60% and excludes the tritium spectrum.

This list comprises age measurements carried out from October 1972 to July 1973. Samples dated are all of archaeologic interest and come from Italian territory. Pretreatment of samples, production of purest CO2 and counting techniques have been described elsewhere (Azzi, 1972; Azzi et al, 1973).

The following date list consists of samples prepared mainly during 1970 and 1971. Some old measurements, not included in previous lists are added. Ages reported here are calculated using the conventional half-life of 14C: 5568 years and NBS oxalic acid as recent standard.

This date list was compiled by the Institute of Geological Sciences (UK) incorporating data supplied under contract by E Welin, Radioactive Dating Laboratory, Stockholm. Unless otherwise stated, age figures are in 14C years before ad 1950. The half-life of 14C is taken as 5568 years and the error, based on counting statistics of sample, background, and modern, is given as one standard deviation. Correction for 13C/12C fractionation has been made.

All samples processed from November 1971 through January 1973 at the Illinois State Geological Survey Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory are reported here. The benzene liquid scintillation technique was used. Laboratory procedures used were the same as those reported by Coleman (1973), with the exceptions that bone collagen was separated by the Longin (1970; 1971) technique and acetylene was trimerized to benzene as described by Coleman, et al (1972).

This list includes results of measurements made from 1969 to 1972 in the Natural Radiocarbon Laboratory of the Centre de Recherches Radiogéologiques de Nancy (CRR).

The following list of dates is of archaeologic samples submitted in 1971–2, using the counting equipment described in R, 1971, v 13, p 468. Ages are quoted with a 1σ counting error which includes statistical variation of the sample, background, and standard count. The reference year is ad 1950 and 0.95% NBS oxalic acid for 14C dating is the standard. The half-life used is 5570 years.