Considerable work has gone into developing high-precision radiocarbon (14C) chronologies for the southern Levant region during the Late Bronze to Iron Age/early Biblical periods (∼1200–600 BC), but there has been little consideration whether the current standard Northern Hemisphere14C calibration curve (IntCal13) is appropriate for this region. We measured14C ages of calendar-dated tree rings from AD 1610 to 1940 from southern Jordan to investigate contemporary14C levels and to compare these with IntCal13. Our data reveal an average offset of ∼1914C years, but, more interestingly, this offset seems to vary in importance through time. While relatively small, such an offset has substantial relevance to high-resolution14C chronologies for the southern Levant, both archaeological and paleoenvironmental. For example, reconsidering two published studies, we find differences, on average, of 60% between the 95.4% probability ranges determined from IntCal13 versus those approximately allowing for the observed offset pattern. Such differences affect, and even potentially undermine, several current archaeological and historical positions and controversies.
ABSOLUTE DENDROCHRONOLOGICAL SCALE FOR PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) FROM UJŚCIE (NW POLAND), DATED USING RAPID ATMOSPHERIC 14C CHANGES