| Abstract: |
Overseas bone dating expertise and procedures are listed and a comparison is made with those practiced at the ANU R.C. laboratory. So far none of the fractions isolated, hot water soluble collagen, acid insoluble collagen, bone carbonate (acetic acid hydrolysis), bone apatite (hydrochloric acid hydrolysis of ac. ac. treated sample), and total bone carbonate (hydrochloric ac. hydrolysis of untreated sample), yielded consistently 'correct' (perhaps 'acceptable' would be a better term) ages. Undoubtedly each fraction in turn can yield to or be contaminated by environmental factors and the role of C13 values as a tracer of CO2 pathways is discussed. Humic acid contamination of collagen is suspected, but current collagen techniques as practiced at ANU do not remove humic acids systematically.
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