C-14-AMS IN MEXICO AND PRE-COLUMBIAN ARCHAEOLOGY
Por:
Solis, C., Rodriguez-Ceja, M., Chavez-Lomeli, E., Alcantara, A., Gazzola, J., Balcells, J., Jimenez, J. C., de la Rosa, Y., Martinez-Carrillo, M. A.
Publicada:
1 ago 2021
Resumen:
The complex geographical scenario of Mexico allowed the cultural
diversification and development of multiple cultures such as Tolteca,
Teotihuacan, Mexica, and Maya, among others. Despite this rich cultural
heritage, radiometric dating of Mexican cultural samples with
radiocarbon (C-14) began only in the 1980s and with accelerator mass
spectrometry (AMS) in 2013. Analysis of C-14 with AMS is the most widely
used technique to date archaeological objects and cultural heritage.
Since 2013, the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (LEMA) facility
of the Institute of Physics at UNAM (IF-UNAM) has supported
archaeological research in Mexico, but also investigation in other areas
such as geology, physics, chemistry, and environmental sciences through
the analysis of C-14, Be-10, Al-26, I-129, and Pu. The absolute dating
with C-14 continues to be the core of LEMA's work, where different
geographical scenarios of the country and climatic conditions present
very diverse analytical challenges. This work presents a basic
description of the AMS system of the LEMA laboratory and describes some
applications that are currently being developed.
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