![]() ![]() Rapidly oxidized in the air, 14C atoms enter the global carbon cycle in the form of 14CO 2, which plants absorb during photosynthesis. It is continuously generated in the upper atmosphere by the interaction of 14N with cosmic ray-induced neutrons. Radiocarbon ( 14C) is a radioactive isotope of carbon with a half-life of 5730 years. ![]() It contributed significantly to addressing critical concerns in archeological studies such as the chronologies of specific events and the formation of new hypotheses and research paradigms ( Kuzmin, 2009). This new technique allowed archeologists to examine archeological remains and associated events with well-delineated chronological frameworks. Radiocarbon dating was considered to be a great revolution in prehistoric archeology in the 20th century ( Daniel, 1959), and it “came as a godsend to archeology” ( Renfrew, 1976: 53–75). Shortly afterward, radiocarbon dating laboratories were established in many Western countries ( Deevey et al., 1965). In 1949, the first set of radiocarbon dates was published by Willard Frank Libby and colleagues ( Libby et al., 1949). We conclude the paper with a brief discussion of future work and research directions that need to be explored. Some of the breakthroughs in studies of the Upper Paleolithic, early Homo sapiens, neolithization, and the Xia and Shang dynasties are highlighted. This paper presents an overview of the history of the radiocarbon dating technique and its significant applications in Chinese archeology, focusing on the transition from β-decay counting to accelerator mass spectrometry. It is, however, also true that compared to Western countries, China has reported far fewer radiocarbon dates than expected. There is no doubt that Chinese archeology entered a golden age with the assistance of radiocarbon dating techniques at the beginning of the 2000s. In the three decades of studies that followed, achievements were made in radiocarbon dating, especially in measurement techniques, sample preparation, and the establishment of regional chronological frameworks. Radiocarbon dating is a well-established chronometric technique that has been widely employed in Chinese archeology since the first radiocarbon laboratory started operating in the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1965. 2College of History, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China.1Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China. ![]()
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