The Roman amphitheatre in Mérida, Spain ˗Augustan or Flavian? Radiocarbon dating results on mortar carbonate

Four lime mortar samples from the Mérida amphitheatre in Spain were dated in 2001 and re-dated in 2019 with refined dating methods and focus on carbon dioxide that was released in late CO fractions when dissolved in phosphoric acid. The samples were difficult to date because they contained highly so...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geochronometria 2020-01, Vol.47 (1), p.187-195
Main Authors: Lindroos, Alf, Heinemeier, Jan, Ringbom, Åsa, Daugbjerg, Thomas Schrøder, Hajdas, Irka
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon 14
Carbon dioxide
Carbonates
CO2 fractions
Contamination
Dating techniques
hydraulic mortar
Magnesium
Mortar dating
Mortars (material)
Phosphoric acid
Radiocarbon dating
Radiometric dating
sequential dissolution
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Summary:Four lime mortar samples from the Mérida amphitheatre in Spain were dated in 2001 and re-dated in 2019 with refined dating methods and focus on carbon dioxide that was released in late CO fractions when dissolved in phosphoric acid. The samples were difficult to date because they contained highly soluble, young carbonate contamination that dominated the carbon dioxide from the early stages of the reaction with the acid in the hydrolysis process. They were also rather hydraulic and rich in magnesium, which could have caused delayed hardening. However, there was very little dead carbon contamination so that late carbon dioxide fraction gave uniform C ages, pointing to a late 1 c. AD Flavian, or later age of the amphitheatre.
ISSN:1733-8387
1897-1695
DOI:10.2478/geochr-2020-0028