IDENTIFICATION AND AMS RADIOCARBON DATING OF CHARCOAL FROM THE NORTH CREEK SHELTER, SITE 42GA5863, IN THE ESCALANTE VALLEY, UTAH

Charcoal samples were examined from on-going excavations at the North Creek
Shelter, site 42GA5863, in the Escalante Valley of south-central Utah. These samples were
submitted for identification prior to radiocarbon analysis to select the best material to send for
dating. The identification of specific material to be dated is particularly advantageous and
allows the researcher to know precisely what material is submitted for radiocarbon dating.
More accurate ages can be obtained by submitting only specific types of charcoal or other
charred plant material for dating. It is preferential to date a local species rather than a foreign
one, to date a single species rather than a mixture of several types, and to date the plant type
with the shortest life span, such as dating charcoal from a shorter-lived shrub rather than a
longer-lived tree. The majority of the charcoal samples selected for radiocarbon dating were
submitted to Beta Analytic, Inc. (Beta Analytic). For three of the samples, single pieces of
charcoal were selected and broken in half. One-half was sent to Beta Analytic for dating, and
one-half was processed at Paleo Research Institute (PRI) for AMS radiocarbon dating.