It is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon (14. C), a radioactive isotope of carbon. Radiocarbon dating is one of the most widely used scientific dating methods in archaeology and environmental science.

How does radiocarbon dating detect art forgeries?

Radiocarbon dating has the potential to answer the question of when an artwork was created, by providing a time frame of the material used. In this study we show that with two microsamples (<500 μg), from both the canvas and the paint layer itself, a modern forgery could be identified.

What is the upper limit for radiocarbon dating?

about 50,000 years The practical upper limit is about 50,000 years, because so little C-14 remains after almost 9 half-lives that it may be hard to detect and obtain an accurate reading, regardless of the size of the sample.