Radiocarbon Dating Calculator

Your details

pMC is the most common laboratory report format. Use fraction or activity ratio if your lab reports those directly. Reverse mode finds the expected C-14 remaining for a known age.
For pMC enter 0-100 (above 100 indicates a post-bomb sample). For fraction or activity ratio enter 0-1.
pMC
The 1-sigma standard deviation from the laboratory measurement. Enter 0 to skip uncertainty propagation.
pMC
The Cambridge half-life is the accepted modern value. The Libby value is used for consistency with older published dates and conventional lab reports.
Age (years BP)Late glacial / early Holocene
5,730yr BP

Conventional radiocarbon age before present (BP reference = 1950)

Fraction remaining0.5N/N0
Percent modern carbon50pMC
Half-lives elapsed1
Age upper bound (+1 sigma)5,813yr BP
Age lower bound (-1 sigma)5,647yr BP
Approx. calendar year-3,780
Decay constant (lambda)0.000121yr-1
50 pMC
Near limit (>40,000 yr)<1Late Pleistocene1-12Pleistocene to mid-Holocene12-50Holocene / historical50-88Modern / recent88+

Estimated age: 5,730 years BP.

  • The sample has undergone 1.00 half-lives of decay, retaining 50.00 pMC.
  • With the reported 1-sigma uncertainty, the true age likely falls between 5,647 and 5,813 years BP.
  • The uncalibrated calendar year estimate is approximately 3,780 BCE. Apply an IntCal20 calibration curve for a precise calendar date.

Next stepThis is a conventional radiocarbon age, not a calibrated calendar date. For publication-quality results, apply a calibration curve (IntCal20 for terrestrial, Marine20 for marine) using OxCal or Calib software.

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