14Cvärde

14Cvärde refers to the radiocarbon dating value, specifically the result obtained from a carbon-14 (¹⁴C) dating analysis. Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon that is naturally present in the atmosphere. Living organisms absorb ¹⁴C from their environment. When an organism dies, it stops absorbing ¹⁴C, and the existing ¹⁴C within its remains begins to decay at a known rate. This decay process can be measured to determine the time elapsed since the organism's death.

The 14Cvärde is typically expressed in years before present (BP), with "present" conventionally defined as AD 1950. The value indicates how many years ago the sample's ¹⁴C content corresponds to. For example, a 14Cvärde of 5000 BP suggests the organism died approximately 5000 years before 1950. It's important to note that raw ¹⁴C dates often require calibration to account for variations in atmospheric ¹⁴C concentration over time. This calibration process, using data from tree rings, ice cores, and other sources, converts the raw ¹⁴C age into a more accurate calendar age.

Radiocarbon dating, and thus the 14Cvärde, is a widely used technique in archaeology, paleontology, and geology to date organic materials such as wood, charcoal, bone, and shells. The effective range of ¹⁴C dating is typically up to around 50,000 years, after which the amount of remaining ¹⁴C becomes too small to measure accurately.