Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 12:00 noon, free!

The Low Energy Plasma Radiocarbon Sampling Laboratory is on the cutting edge of radiocarbon sampling. The ability to date extremely small amounts of organic materials through “gentle” surface oxidation has opened up a variety of dating applications difficult to address with conventional radiocarbon methods. These include the collection of stratigraphically-sequential samples from sooted rockshelter ceilings, the dating of oxalate layers both underlying and overlying rock art images, and the dating of residues from sherds. Although it did not stretch the lab’s capabilities, the recent sampling of a reputed Picasso canvas proved an interesting diversion from normal archaeological work.

The Brown Bag talk will take place at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology at 12:00 noon in the CNMA library. Seating is limited. Admission is free.

The Center for New Mexico Archaeology (7 Old Cochiti Road) is located off of Caja del Rio Road, across from Challenge New Mexico on the way to the Santa Fe Municipal Golf Course. Take 599 to South Meadows Road, continue through the traffic circle west along the Frontage Road to Caja del Rio Road. CNMA is on the left-hand side of the road and is the large building with white sail-like skylights on the roof.