Email the author 
Open Access
Subscription Access
A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF AGE AT DEATH DETERMINATION USING THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTING 14C ACTIVITY OF DENTINE AND ENAMEL
Abstract
Calibration (using CALIBomb) of radiocarbon measurements made on the enamel of human teeth from people
born during the nuclear era typically produce 2 possible age ranges that potentially reflect the period of tooth formation. These
ranges correspond to periods before and after the 1963 atmospheric 14C maximum. Further measurements made on the
collagen component of the combined dentine and cementum from the roots of the same teeth enable the appropriate age range
to be selected. Using this range and the formation times for individual teeth, we estimated the year of birth of the individuals
and compared these to the known dates of birth. The results were relatively accurate and confirmed those of a previous study
by another research group. The present study demonstrates that it is possible to produce a good estimate of the year of birth
from a single tooth.
born during the nuclear era typically produce 2 possible age ranges that potentially reflect the period of tooth formation. These
ranges correspond to periods before and after the 1963 atmospheric 14C maximum. Further measurements made on the
collagen component of the combined dentine and cementum from the roots of the same teeth enable the appropriate age range
to be selected. Using this range and the formation times for individual teeth, we estimated the year of birth of the individuals
and compared these to the known dates of birth. The results were relatively accurate and confirmed those of a previous study
by another research group. The present study demonstrates that it is possible to produce a good estimate of the year of birth
from a single tooth.