Comments on the use of radiocarbon dating in Finnish archaeology

Authors

• Joakim Donner

Abstract

The Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory of the University of Helsinki has, since its foundation in 1968, dated 456 archaeological samples, of which 304 are of charcoal from Stone Age or younger sites. Because of the great scatter of the ages they have been of restricted use for the archaeological chronology. Dates of separate finds, such as of skis, have been of greater use. In addition, a number of pollen diagrams in which the first signs of agriculture can be traced have been dated.