Potential application of radiocarbon dating to bronze implements and application to the Dojoji Kanemaki Doutaku bronze bell

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  • 青銅器の炭素14年代測定の可能性と道成寺鐘巻銅鐸への適用
  • セイドウキ ノ タンソ 14ネンダイ ソクテイ ノ カノウセイ ト ドウジョウジショウカン ドウタク エ ノ テキヨウ

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Abstract

Radiocarbon dating is a useful method to determine the ages of wood, charcoal, and paper. All three of these materials contain carbon derived from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Verdigris, the rust produced on the surfaces of bronze implements, is basically composed of copper carbonate CuCO3・Cu(OH)2. The Cu contained in thebronze reacts with the CO2, H2O, O2 in the atmosphere. Once verdigris is formed, it seals the bronze as a close film, restraining the generation of new rust. Verdigris can thus be assumed to capture and preserve carbon from the atmosphere at the time it forms. The extraction of carbon from verdigris enables the radiocarbon dating of bronze implements. This study was conducted to prove that the radiocarbon dating of bronze is possible. Preparatory experiments confirmed that CuCO3・Cu(OH)2 heated at 250ºC for 1 hour releases CO2. The extraction method for archaeological samples of known ages was then applied to measure their radiocarbon ages. The archaeological ages of two Chinese bronze goblet, Jue, date between BC2070 and BC256. One goblet had a radiocarbon age of 2153±21 BP, which corresponds to 338–169 cal AD. The other goblet was dated at 3623±25 BP and 2027–1940 cal AD. The archaeological age includes their calibrated radiocarbon ages. Kanemaki Doutaku, a Japanese bronze bell at Dojoji temple, Wakayama Japan, was also measured. The bell has an archaeological age from the latter half of the 1st century to the first half of the 3rd century. The radiocarbon age was 1759±19 BP and calibrated to 241–324 cal AD. The result of archaeological samples shows that verdigris captures and preserves the carbon in the atmosphere when it forms, and thus can be used as a suitable sample material for radiocarbon dating.

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