Some Effects of Partial Recrystallisation on 14C dating Late Pleistocene Corals and Molluscs

The issue of sea level during the last interstadial revolves largely around the problem of achieving reliable 14 C dates for shell carbonate from Late Pleistocene shallow marine and littoral deposits. A set of 27 samples were collected from Late Pleistocene reefs in New Guinea, and measurements made of 13 C, 14 C, plus the degree of recrystallisation (determined by X-ray diffraction). The original fibrous aragonite structure of the samples (corals and clams) is seen in thin section to recrystallise in two quite different modes. The carbon isotope results strongly suggest that one mode, the sparry calcite recrystallisation, represents an open geochemical system which allows contamination by more recent 14 C, while the subtle coarsening mode of recrystallisation represents a closed system, often yielding reliable results. The reliability of the latter can be validated if a similarly recrystallised sample, known to be outside the range of 14 C dating, shows a background 14 C count.