Research and development of highly accurate dating methods for human bones and teeth

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13244
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03060:Cultural assets study-related
• Research Institution: Yamagata University
• Principal Investigator: Takeyama Mirei 山形大学, 理学部, 技術専門職員 (80822668)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 加速器質量分析 / 放射性炭素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the fields of archaeology and cultural property science, the human bones and teeth excavated from archaeological sites are extremely important samples for clarifying the social and cultural aspects of prehistory and their natural anthropological relationships. However, in many cases, even when both human bones and teeth are excavated from archaeological sites, only the bones are selected as samples for radiocarbon dating. In this study, accelerator mass spectrometry and elemental isotope ratio mass spectrometry were performed on contemporary human bone and tooth samples with known birth and death dates to determine whether bone or tooth samples are more suitable for radiocarbon dating.

Free Research Field

宇宙線物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

筆者が知る限り、これまで正確に出生及び死亡年代が判明している現代のヒトの骨コラーゲンと歯の試料を同時に用いて行った放射性炭素年代測定に関する研究報告はない。さらにその暦年代と食性を詳しく探究することで年代測定法をより高確度に行うことが期待される。