Table 1.
Results of 14C dating, C/N ratio, δ15N, and δ13C on human teeth from Fuyan Cave, on a modern bovine bone, and on a known-age human bone and tooth used for testing the 14C dating method in ref. 2
| Lab code | Sample ID | Type | F14C | 14C age (years B.P.) | Calendric age (years B.P.) | N% by EA | C% by EA | C/N | δ15N (air) | δ13 C (VPDB) |
| Human teeth from Fuyan Cave | ||||||||||
| NTUAMS-5260-C | FY-HT-1 | CaCO3 | 0.7976 ± 0.0069 | 1816 ± 70 | 1750 ± 90 | |||||
| NTUAMS-5260-D | FY-HT-1 | TOC | 0.7388 ± 0.0057 | 2432 ± 62 | 2540 ± 130 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.5 | — | −7.53 |
| NTUAMS-5260b-D | FY-HT-1 | TOC | 0.7734 ± 0.0058 | 2382 ± 63 | 2510 ± 140 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.5 | — | −7.53 |
| NTUAMS-5259-C | FY-HT-2 | CaCO3 | 0.2662 ± 0.0026 | 10633 ± 79 | 12580 ± 140 | |||||
| NTUAMS-5259-D | FY-HT-2 | TOC | 0.3527 ± 0.0035 | 8372 ± 80 | 9380 ± 90 | 0.04 | 1.6 | 46.7 | 10.89 | −16.85 |
| A modern bovine bone from Sichuan Province, China | ||||||||||
| NTUAMS-5037-A | bone20181107 (Kang) | Collagen | 1.0319 ± 0.0079 | −252 ± 62 | Modern | 14.7 | 41.7 | 3.3 | 5.59 | −19.91 |
| NTUAMS-5037-A | bone20181107 (Kang) | Collagen | 1.0454 ± 0.0103 | −356 ± 80 | Modern | 14.7 | 41.7 | 3.3 | ||
| NTUAMS-5038-A | bone20181107 (Chou) | Collagen | 1.0482 ± 0.0102 | −378 ± 78 | Modern | 14.8 | 41.6 | 3.3 | 5.60 | −19.94 |
| NTUAMS-5038b-A | bone20181107 (Chou) | Collagen | 1.0348 ± 0.0080 | −275 ± 62 | Modern | 15.0 | 42.2 | 3.3 | 5.57 | −19.75 |
| NTUAMS-5039-A | bone20181107 (TE) | Collagen | 1.0487 ± 0.0073 | −382 ± 56 | Modern | 15.5 | 42.3 | 3.2 | 5.60 | −19.81 |
| NTUAMS-5039b-A | bone20181107 (TE) | Collagen | 1.0485 ± 0.0077 | −380 ± 59 | Modern | 15.3 | 42.5 | 3.2 | 5.61 | −19.85 |
| NTUAMS-5039c-A | bone20181107 (TE) | Collagen | 1.0563 ± 0.0075 | −440 ± 57 | Modern | 14.9 | 41.5 | 3.2 | 5.59 | −19.73 |
| average | 1.0448 | 15.0 | 41.9 | 3.3 | 5.59 | −19.83 | ||||
| SD | 0.0086 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.09 | ||||
| NTUAMS-5037-D | bone20181107 (Kang) | Bone powder | 1.0688 ± 0.0081 | −534 ± 61 | Modern | 3.9 | 13.0 | 3.9 | 6.76 | −18.58 |
| A human bone and a human tooth from Yinxu archaeological site (Late Shang Dynasty, about 1146 to ∼1046 BC), Anyang, Henan Province, China | ||||||||||
| NTUAMS-5397-D | 2007AXAT0607m8-a | TOC of tooth | 0.7017 ± 0.0064 | 2846 ± 73 | 2990 ± 100 | 1.8 | 6.2 | 3.9 | 10.49 | −6.97 |
| NTUAMS-5398-A | 2007AXAT0607m8-a | Collagen | 0.6996 ± 0.0055 | 2870 ± 63 | 3015 ± 100 | 7.6 | 20.7 | 3.2 | 9.53 | −8.13 |
| NTUAMS-5398-D | 2007AXAT0607m8-b | TOC of bone | 0.7240 ± 0.0065 | 2594 ± 72 | 2655 ± 115 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 8.2 | 10.04 | −7.82 |
Kang, Chou, and TE in Sample ID are the three technicians who undertook the dating work at the NTUAMS laboratory; 2007AXAT0607m8a is a human upper incisor and 2007AXAT0607m8b a human right femur from Yinxu archeological site, historically dated between 1146 BC and 1046 BC (corresponding to calibrated 14C age of 3,096 y B.P. to ∼2,995 y B.P.). The 14C age (2σ error) is calculated from the measured 14C/12C and 13C/12C of OXII, background and samples. Calendric age (years before 1950 CE) is calibrated from IntCal 13. NTUAMS = National Taiwan University Accelerator Mass Spectrometry; OXII = National Bureau of Standards Oxalic Acid II; EA = elemental analyzer; VPDB = Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite.