What can be dated? For radiocarbon dating to be possible, the material must once have been part of a living organism. This means that things like stone, metal and pottery cannot usually be directly dated by this means unless there is some organic material embedded or left as a residue.

Can steel be dated?

There isnt an intrinsic method of dating metal as there is for wooden objects such as radiocarbon-dating or tree-ring dating. Much depends on the assessment of the object.

What material can be carbon dated?

Carbon-14 Datable Materials Samples that have been radiocarbon dated since the inception of the method include charcoal, wood, twigs, seeds, bones, shells, leather, peat, lake mud, soil, hair, pottery, pollen, wall paintings, corals, blood residues, fabrics, paper or parchment, resins, and water, among others.

Can you carbon date recent things?

Archaeologists have long used carbon-14 dating (also known as radiocarbon dating) to estimate the age of certain objects. In recent years, forensic scientists have started to apply carbon-14 dating to cases in which law enforcement agencies hope to find out the age of a skeleton or other unidentified human remains.