Ultrafiltration of bone samples is neither the problem nor the solution

Authors

Reka H. Fulop, University of CologneFollow
Stefan Heinze, University of Cologne
Svetlana John, University of Cologne
Janet Rethemeyer, University of Cologne

RIS ID

111156

Publication Details

Fulop, R. Hajnalka., Heinze, S., John, S. & Rethemeyer, J. (2013). Ultrafiltration of bone samples is neither the problem nor the solution. Radiocarbon: an international journal of cosmogenic isotope research, 55 (2), 491-500.

Abstract

We conducted analyses to identify the most suitable bone pretreatment protocol to be used by the recently established Radiocarbon Laboratory at the University of Cologne, CologneAMS. In 2 sets of analyses, we determined 14C ages for subsamples taken from 3 14C bone standards (Oxford Mammoth, VIRI I, and VIRI H) complemented by age determinations of 12 unknown bone samples. Our results suggest that the strength and duration of the acid and alkali steps and the temperature of gelatinization might have a larger influence on the obtained ages than the presence or absence of ultrafiltration as a pretreatment step.