A07_01

Radiocarbon Laboratories and the protection of Cultural Heritage–update and discussion

Jull A^1,2, Hajdas I³

¹University Of Arizona, Tucson, United States, ²Institute for Nuclear Research, Debrecen, Hungary, ³ETH-Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Some spectacular dating of famous antique objects such as the Shroud of Turin, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Vinland Map and Gospel of Judas demonstrate the power of the method for the detection of forgeries and verification of a heritage object’s true age. The antiquities trade now relies heavily on ¹⁴C analysis when art works and cultural objects are offered for sale. The provenance of such objects is important to avoid misunderstanding, fraudulent or inaccurate representation of ownership of art works. Currently, forty-seven radiocarbon laboratories listed here http://radiocarbon.webhost.uits.arizona.edu/node/11 have agreed to follow a protocol that requires verification of information on origin of cultural samples and antique objects submitted for ¹⁴C analysis. This paper will summarize the development of this initiative for the protection of cultural heritage and open a discussion within the community.