Laboratory error in C14 dating of East Greenland shell material

Abstract

Nine samples of subfossil, Holocene bivalve sheIIs from scattered localities in the East Greenland fjord zone (70° 30'-74°N) were submitted for C14 dating at the Teledyne Isotopes Laboratories, New Jersey, U.S.A., in 1975. The ages obtained seemed to be much too young compared with earlier datings from the region and consequently the laboratory offered to re-date the samples. Thus, the results were not released in the annua! compilation of C14 dating of GGU material (Weidick, 1976). Material was selected again from the same sample bags and submitted. The only obvious difference between the two sets of samples was that the best preserved sheIIs had been disposed of in the first dating.