The discovery of carbon-14 allowed scientists to determine the age of ancient artifacts
Radiocarbon dating revolutionized archaeology by measuring the decay of carbon atoms, enabling researchers to accurately pinpoint the age of organic remains up to 50,000 years old.
Willard Libby developed radiocarbon dating in 1946, a breakthrough that eventually earned him a Nobel Prize. This technique measures the steady decay of carbon-14 isotopes within organic materials like wood, bone, and plant fibers after an organism dies.
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