Letter from the Subcommittee on the Near and Middle East to Schaeffer on a new dating method developed by Professor W. F. Libby and Dr J. R. ArnoldThe Subcommittee on the Near and Middle East

American Anthropological Association - Geological Society of America Subcommittee Near and Middle East - Committee on Carbon^14 c/o The Oriental Institute, The University of Chicago Chicago 37, Illinois, U.S.A.

Dear Colleague:

You may be aware that a promising method for the age determination of certain types of archaeological and geological material has been under development by Prof. W. F. Libby of the Institute of Nuclear Studies of the University of Chicago. The work of Dr. Libby and his colleague, Dr. J. R. Arnold was summarized as of the beginning of 1949 in Science (Vol. 109, 1949, pp. 227-28) but much progress has been made since that time, and the above mentioned Committee (with various regional subcommittees) was created by the American Anthropological Association and the Geological Society of America to collaborate with Drs. Libby and Arnold. Suffice it to say here that the method depends on a count of the residual radio-activity of the isotope Carbon^14 in organic specimens. At present, specimens, if supplied in the amounts given below, may be dated with ca. ± 200 years accuracy backwards towards 20,000 years ago.

The subcommittee on the Near and Middle East is anxious to provide specimens for the project, and asks you to send pertinent material to the above address, paying respect to the following points:

1. Since both Drs. Libby and Arnold and the Committee are interested in all parts of the world, there will be such great quantities of specimens submitted that it will be necessary to assess priorities. Hence you should send a letter with your sample(s), clearly covering the following points;

a. The specimen should contribute towards the solution of a real chronological problem. Since the method cannot (at the moment) be more accurate than ±200 years, it is not applicable to the solution of detailed historical problems - its application is pertinent to prehistoric, protohistoric, and the earliest "historic" ranges only.

b. The specimen should have a very positive archaeological or geological context or associationship, so that the date supplied from it is meaningful.

c. The specimen should not have been treated or preserved with a chemical solution. If it has been, and you know which chemicals were used, the project may be able to reclaim the specimen.

d. If there were any peculiar circumstances concerning the stratum in which the specimen was found, your letter should explain the case.