Extensive survey on radiocarbon dating of organic inclusions in medieval mortars in the czech republic

Dating organic inclusions in mortars such as charcoals is a useful alternative or complementary method to dating mortars themselves, helping to estimate the building age. To assess the limitations of this dating approach, organic inclusions were searched for in surface mortar layers of six early to late medieval buildings in the Czech Republic with relatively well-known age. Altogether, 123 samples were found. About 80% were successfully radiocarbon (C-14) dated. However, only 66% originated from wood relatively young when used in lime burning. To judge which samples are relevant to the actual building date, sufficient statistics is crucial. We recommend dating at least 5-10 samples, i.e., collecting 6-12 samples, for a site with uncomplicated building history, or per building phase. Otherwise, unrealistically old or young dates might be obtained. With the recommended statistics, inclusion-based dating provides building ages with uncertainty of 50-100 years.