A Simplified Approach to Calibrating ¹⁴C Dates

TLDR

The study proposes a simplified method for calibrating radiocarbon dates. The method uses spline‑based tree‑ring calibration curves, converts BP age uncertainties into calendar confidence intervals, and is implemented in adapted software. The approach avoids conceptual issues in translating radiocarbon probabilities to calendar ages.

Abstract

We propose a simplified approach to the calibration of radiocarbon dates. We use splines through the tree-ring data as calibration curves, thereby eliminating a large part of the statistical scatter of the actual data points. To express the age range, we transform the ± 1 σ and ± 2 σ values of the BP age to calendar dates and interpret them as the 68% and 95% confidence intervals. This approach bypasses the conceptual problems of the transfer of individual probability values from the radiocarbon to the calendar age. We have adapted software to make this calibration possible.