31st August 2011, 01:02 PM
BAJR Wrote:Long story attached to thisshall we say the client took all the samples away with them 5 minutes after the site ended. :face-confused:
The 'client' took the samples??!! I know you can't say who the client was but that would be a break of the working methodology? If not certainly a break in EH guidelines? If it was a construction company they have no reason to do so (and probably lack the required skills or knowledge to store them or keep em uncontaminated).
As Sparky does, we also send off stuff to an environmental expert to id the samples and to advise on the suitability based on amount of earthworm and snail disturbance and possibility of the sample to be dated as being intrusive...those individual charred grains and hazel nutshell fragments get around!
Would usually agree with Dino if the samples have become 'suspect' but am guessing there is more to it.
Personally, in my experience of radiocarbon dating its not worth the money doing radiocarbon dating on an iffy sample. Even if you get a result back that 'fits' with everything else...its still a dubious date if there is a chance of residuality, intrusion or sample contamination. If you do multiple determinations and they agree you have a better case.....but the doubt still resides.
Worse still, if you get an exciting date for instance the earliest date for something, even if its correct it'll never hold water due to the doubt.
So without further info, I'm with Dino -- Bin it.
Can you give us any further details without breaking AUPs?