[RADIOCARBON, VOL. 5, 1963, P.

56-61]

TEXAS BIO-NUCLEAR
RADIOCARBON MEASUREMENTS I
JOHN B. CHANDLER, RUSSELL KINNINGHAM, DON S. MASSEY
Kaman Instruments Formerly Texas Bio-Nuclear
A Division of Kaman Aircraft Corporation
P. 0. Box 9431, Austin 17, Texas
INTRODUCTION
Introduction-Texas Bio-Nuclear is a proprietary establishment engaged
in offering C14 dating by the liquid-scintillation method as a service to those
institutions and individuals who have a need for such a service. The Laboratory
began actual dating operations in December 1961. The first few months were
devoted to processing check samples in order to establish the reliability of the
system. The dates listed below are not inclusive of all our dating, since the
dates we furnish our clients are their property and the publishing of this in-
formation is their decision.
Sample types and pretreatment-The types of samples submitted to our
laboratory vary widely, some are: natural gases, charcoal, wood, terrestrial
shells, ivory, textile, limestone, humic soil, and mixtures of soil and charcoal.
Sample pretreatment follows the usual method : 1) removal of gross foreign
matter by hand, 2) distilled-water rinse, 3) hot 0.1 N NaOH bath for ten
minutes, 4) distilled-water rinse, 5) hot 0.1 N HCl bath for ten minutes, 6) a
final distilled-water rinse. This routine is varied occasionally for samples of
unusual nature. Ultrasonic cleaning has been used with some success on textile
and shell samples.
Chemical conversion-The sample is burned to CO2 and synthesized to
benzene in a manner similar to that used at the University of Texas (Stipp, et
al., 1962).
The overall efficiency of the chemical conversion of sample carbon to
benzene carbon is ca. 50%. Primary scintillator (PBD) and secondary scintil-
lator (POPOP) are dissolved in the sample benzene, which is placed for count-
ing, in a 4 ml cylindrical type vial. The vial used is of frosted glass. Through
our investigations we have found the combination of this vial type and the
scintillators mentioned above produce improved pulse-height resolutions, thus
increasing the counting efficiency for C14. It is sometimes necessary to add
"dead" reagent grade benzene to bring the vial up to volume when the sample
benzene is not sufficient.
Sample counting and counting equipment-The counter currently in use
is our modified version of the commercially available Packard Tri-Carb Liquid
Scintillation Spectrometer. The unit is operated under modified operating con-
ditions. The detector unit of the system is placed in a freezer and operated at
a temperature of 4.5° to 5.5°C. The balance of the electronic components are
installed in a smaller freezer operating at ca. 60°F. The effects of these modi-
fications, including the use of the special vial, have been: 1) reduced back-
ground, 2) greater instrument stability, and 3) increased counting efficiency.
56
 John B. Chandler, Russell Kinningham, Don S. Massey 57
The entire counting system is installed in a document-storage vault whose walls,
ceiling, and floor are of 8-in, thick concrete.
The modern standard presently in use is 95% of the activity of the NBS
oxalic-acid standard. This produces a gross uncorrected count of 27.34
counts/min. Background for an equal volume of modern sample is 3.2
counts/min. Ages are calculated using the Libby half life of 5568 yr, with A.D.
1950 as the reference year.
Acknowledgements-We acknowledge our appreciation of the technical
guidance of Dr. John K. Kirby, former Director of Laboratories at Texas Bio-
Nuclear; M. C. Davis, former Research Chemist at Texas Bio-Nuclear; and
the C14 dating staff at Texas Bio-Nuclear.

SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONS
I. GEOLOGIC SAMPLES

A. Southwestern United States

17,756 ± 358
TBN-307.1.. Rich Lake,' Texas 15,806 B.C.
Limestone from an exposed bluff of Tahoka sediments at the NE corner of
Rich Lake, Terry County, Texas (33° 17' N Lat, 102° 12' W Long). Coll.
1961 and subm. by F. Wendorf and J. Hester, Mus. of New Mexico, Santa Fe,
New Mexico. Comment (J.H.) : this sample is the lowest of three freshwater
limestones exposed at this site and should date near the beginning of the
Pleistocene. This sample may have been contaminated by groundwater. A com-
parable sample has been dated at 26,500 ± 800 (Lamont VII, L-513B).

TBN-307.2. White Lake, Texas 18,612 ± 347

16,662 s. c.
Limestone from exposed clay bluff at NW corner of White Lake in Mule.
shoe Natl. Wildlife Refuge, Bailey County, Texas (33° 55' N Lat, 102° 47' W
Long). Coll. 1961 and subm, by J. Harbour and J. Hester. Comment: sample
is from the upper limestone marker bed within late Pleistocene Tahoka clays.
The beds antedate human occupation of the area and this limestone should
correlate with the dated upper bed at Rich Lake, Texas; 17,400 ± 600 (La-
mont VII, L-513-A).

II. ARCHAEOLOGIC SAMPLES

A. Northwestern United States

TBN-304-2. Birch Creek, Idaho 6282 ± 229

4332 B.C.
Charcoal (no. 25537) from Feature 6, Veratic Cave, a well-stratified
rockshelter near Blue Dome in the Birch Creek Valley of eastern Idaho (44°
05' N Lat, 112° 55' W Long). Subm. by E. H. Swanson, Idaho State College
Mus., Pocatello, Idaho. Comment: this is one of a large series of C14 samples
collected during the 1960-61 excavations at various sites in the Birch Creek
58 John B. Chandler, Russell Kinningham, Don S. Massey
Valley; its stratigraphic position was earlier than UCLA-161 and UCLA-162
(UCLA II), which dated 5870 ± 120, and 5670 ± 120 respectively, but
probably not much older. The calculated date agrees closely with the previous
estimate.

Weis Rockshelter series, Idaho

This is a large, stratified, continuously occupied site at Camas Prairie in
N Idaho (45° 55' N Lat, 116° 20' W Long). Enclosed in the deposits is a
layer of Mt. Mazama ash, which separates a component of Old Cordilleran
culture from a subsequent component of the Cold Springs horizon in the
Columbia Plateau (Butler, 1961, 1962). However, redeposited volcanic ash
was also found in the deposits enclosing the Old Cordilleran component, and
this raised a question as to the antiquity of the earlier deposits and cultural
materials which they enclosed. C14 samples of the same type were selected from
the earliest and latest of this early series of deposits as a means of examining
the problem further. Coll. and subm. by B. R. Butler, Idaho State College Mus.
7340 ± 140
TBN-319. Substratum 5g 5390 B.C.
Charcoal and humus from substratum 5g, earliest of the Old Cordilleran
components at the site.

TBN-322. Substratum 5c 4650 ± 70

2700 B.c.
Charcoal and humus from substratum 5c, one of the latest of the Old
Cordilleran components.
General Comment (B.R.B.) : provided the layer of Mazama Ash noted above
does not represent redeposition from local sources, the two dates are ca. 2000
yr younger than expected. However, the dates agree closely with respect to the
relative stratigraphic positions of the two samples and with an independently
calculated rate of accumulation of deposits at the site. This has led to reex-
amination of the deposits in question, the results of which will be published in
Butler, 1962.

B. Southwestern United States

TBN-306-3. Navajo Reservoir, New Mexico 2291 ± 264

241 B.C.
Wood charcoal (field specimen no. 4195-106-27) occurring in an oven fill
of Feature 106; 0 to 1.0 ft above floor; Site LA 4195 (36° 58' N Lat,107° 26'
33" W Long), San Juan County, New Mexico. Coll. 1961 and subm. by A. E.
Dittert, Jr., Mus. of New Mexico. Comment: burials and associated pottery in
the oven fill are of the Sambrito phase. This oven fill is overlain by Rosa phase
materials of the period A.D. 700 to 900. Sample should date the Sambrito phase
remains which occur stratigraphically between the Los Angeles Pinos phase (ca.
A.D. 1 to 400) and the Rosa phase (A.D. 700 to 900). Date obtained appears
to be too early.
 Texas Bio-Nuclear Radiocarbon Measurements I 59

4952 ± 304
TBN-311. Caddo County, Oklahoma 3002 B.C.
Mammoth tusk ivory (no. 400-36) in fragmentary condition from a
Pleistocene marsh deposit exposed by a permanent stream in the bottom of a
50 ft deep arroyo in Caddo County, Oklahoma (1 mi E of 34° 57' 30" N Lat,
98° 17' 30" W Long). Coll. 1961 and subm. by A. D. Anderson, Mus. of the
Great Plains, Lawton, Oklahoma. Comment (A.D.A.) : sample was associated
with Paleo-Indian projectile points and should date a period of association be-
tween extinct Pleistocene fauna and Paleo-Indian in Oklahoma. This date is
obviously too recent for mammoth. The sample was in crumbly condition, and
was probably contaminated by stream water and exposure to weather.

C. Central America

Barton Ramie series, British Honduras

Samples from the Barton Ramie site (17° 15' N Lat, 89° W Long), in the
Belize Valley near the Guatemala border in British Honduras. Coll. 1962 and
subm, by G. R. Willey, Peabody Mus., Harvard Univ., Cambridge, Massa-
chusetts.
4016 ± 118
TBN-310.1. Mound BR-155 2066 B.C.
Charcoal-earth mixture (no. 1006) from a fire area in Mound BR-155,
Cut 1, from the 1.3 to 1.5 m level.
3414 ± 118
TBN-310.2. Mound BR-123, fire area 1464 B.C.
Charred maize-earth mixture (no. 1766) from a fire area between Floors
D and E (S) in Mound BR-123.
4155 ± 153
TBN.310 3. Mound BR-123, Oven fill 2205 B.C.
Charcoal-earth mixture (no. 1676) from oven fill, Section 2 of Mound
BR-123.
General Comment ( G.R.W.) : the archaeological context of TBN-310-1 and
TBN-310.3 is the Barton Creek phase of the Late Pre-Classic period in the
Maya Lowlands and these samples should date this period. The context of
TBN-310-2 is Late Classic period, Spanish Lookout phase and should date this
period. The dates appear to ca. 1500 yr too early in each instance. However,
it is interesting to note that TBN-310-2, which was placed archaeologically
later than the others, is ca. 600 yr later according to these dates.

Chichen Itza series, Yucatan, Mexico

Three wood samples were taken from two buildings at Chichen Itza (20°
41' N Lat, 88° 34' W Long), Yucatan, Mexico. Two samples were taken from
"La Iglesia" of the Las Monjas complex, and a supplementary sample was
taken from the "Red House" or "Chicchanchob." Coll.1962 by E. W. Andrews,
Middle Amer. Research Inst., Tulane Univ., New Orleans, Louisiana, and
David Bolles; subm. by J. S. Bolles, 14 Gold St., San Francisco 11, California.
 60 John B. Chandler, Russell Kinningham, Don S. Massey

TBN-313.1. La I g lesia I
1170 ± 70
A.D. 780
Wood, presumably sapote, taken from a beam-stub in a series of five
small beams 252 cm above floor level along W wall. The stub of the fourth
beam, 99 cm from the S corner of W wall, was removed for this sample.

TBN-313-2. La I glesia II
1350 ± 70
A.D. COO
Wood, presumably sapote, taken from a beam-stub in a series of beams
380 cm above the floor along W wall. Fragments were removed from the third
beam N to comprise this sample.
TBN-313-3. Red House or Chiechanchob
1340 ± 60
A.D.610
Wood, presumably kiichi, taken from the southernmost beam of the upper
tier of beams in this structure.
General Comment ( E.W.A.) : samples taken from "La Iglesia" are contempo-
raneous with the original construction of the building. The sample from the
"Red House" lacks the certainty of the "La Iglesia" samples, but the possibility
is believed to he very remote that it dates later than the original construction
of the "Red House."

Bilbao series, Escuintla, Guatemala

These samples are from the Bilhao site, Finca Las Ilusiones, Santa Lucia
Cotzumalhuapa, Escuintla, Guatemala (14° 20' N Lat, 91° 0' W Long). Coll.
1962 by R. Ritzenthaler and L. A. Parsons; subm. by S. F. de Borhegyi,
Milwaukee Public Mus., Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
TBN-315.1. Monument 21, platform rubble 1423 ± 136
A.D. 527
Charcoal from 4 to 5 ft below surface, Group B, Mound 2, Monument 21,
excavation unit 4. Comment: sample was found among the stone rubble of a
platform sloping away from the front of Monument 21 (carved in Santa Lucia
Cotzumalhuapa style). The sample was associated with pottery sherds which
include assumed Late Pre-Classic and Early Classic types, and should date the
construction of the rubble platform, associated pottery types, and possibly
carving of the monument.

TBN-315-2. Esperanza Nursery 503 ± 70

A.D. 1447
Charcoal from 3.5 to 5.0 ft below surface, Test Pit no. 2 at Esperanza
Nursery locality (0.5 mi N of Acropolis). Comment: sample was associated
with a concentrated refuse heap of sherds of supposedly Late Classic context.
The sherds include San Juan Plumbate, Tiquisate, and tall redware vases of
specular hematite. The charcoal fragments were scattered throughout the
refuse heap rather than in a single spot. Since the associated pottery includes
types assumed to be of a single period, the charcoal should have been deposited
within a relatively short span of time, and should date the deposition of the
above pottery types.
 Texas Bio-Nuclear Radiocarbon Measurements I 61
D. Middle East

TBN-320-2. Rayy' Iran ( Persia )

985 ± 50
A.D. 965
Silk textile from burial shroud (sample no. RN-6948) taken from a grave
in the NW area of a small hill, Nakkareh Khaneh, in the outskirts of Rayy, 6
km SE of Teheran, Iran (35° 45' N Lat, 51° 45' E Long). Coll. 1936 by E. F.
Schmidt; subm. by W. J. Young, Mus. of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts.
Comment: the Rayy excavations provide dates from the 8th century A.D. to
A.D. 1220, and sample should date this type of silk and burial. It is possible
this grave may have been disturbed, for it was not a sealed deposit.
REFEREN CES
Date list:
Larnont VII Olson and Broecker, 1961
UCLA II Fergusson and Libby, 1963
Butler, B. R., 1961, The old Cordilleran culture in the Pacific Northwest: Occasional
Papers of the Idaho State College Mus., no. 5.
1962, Contrihutions to the Archeology of the Columbia Plateau: Occasional
Papers of the Idaho State College Mus., no. 9, in press.
Fergusson, G. J., and Libby, W. F., 1963, UCLA radiocarbon dates II: Radiocarbon, v.
5, p.
Olson, E. A., and Broecker, W. S., 1961, Larnont Natural Radiocarbon Measurements VII:
Radiocarbon, v. 3, p. 141-173.
Stipp, J. J., Davis, E. M., Noakes, J. E., and Hoover, T. E., 1962, University of Texas
radiocarbon dates I: Radiocarbon, v. 4, p. 43-50.