Klarinet Archive - Posting 000247.txt from 1995/12

From: Ed Pearlstein <e_p@-----.EDU>
Subj: radiocarbon dating of clarinets
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995 17:27:46 -0500

Several posts that I have seen seem to take seriously the idea that one
could tell the age of a clarinet by C-14 dating. Even if the procedure
were accurate enough to tell an age within just a few years, that would only
be the age of that part of the tree from which the instrument was made. That
is, it tells when that part of the tree quit growing. Not only will different
parts of a tree have different C-14 ages, but instrument makers might keep
their wood in storage (to "age" it) for many years before using it.
The best one could do from C-14 measurements would be to tell that the
clarinet had to be LESS THAN a certain age. For example, it the wood is
200 years old, then the clarinet has to be no more than 200 years old, but
might be a lot less.