Age of remains
Radiocarbon dating was used to estimate how long ago Lindow man died. This process calculates an objects' age by measuring how many carbon 14 atoms are present. Bones, fossils, charcoal and any organic material absorbs carbon atoms from the atmosphere. Radiocarbon dating can only date organic objects back as far as 60,000 years. Anything older than that can not be accurately dated by this process.
Radiocarbon dating was used to show that Lindow man died between 2BC and 119AD. If we take the present year, which is 2015, and subtract it from the year the body died and entered the peat bog, which is 119AD, this tells us that the body is 1896 years old. |