Combining Ancient DNA and Radiocarbon Data to Increase Chronological Accuracy

Ancient DNA data are being used in a variety of ways to gain a richer understanding of the past. This talk explores how ancient DNA can be used to help refine radiocarbon dating. Since there is a biological maximum for the number of years between the deaths of relatives, the ability to identify related individuals through aDNA analysis can serve as a constraint on date range estimates for radiocarbon-dated related individuals. A review of an ancient DNA global dataset found that date ranges can be reduced by dozens or even hundreds of years for related individuals. 

This webinar is part of the Energy and the Environment Sustainability Laboratories' 2021 Seminar Series