Chronology of early China: A radiocarbon databank for Chinese archaeology
Name
s41597-025-05956-z.pdf
Description
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Size
13.45 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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Resource type
Journal article
Date published
December 2025
Abstract
The role of radiocarbon dating in Chinese archaeology has grown increasingly significant in recent decades. Thousands of archaeological radiocarbon dates have been published along with the development of multiple laboratories. However, radiocarbon dates were published in a fragmented manner, in different languages and limited to specific archaeological sites or topics. This fragmentation has created substantial barriers to cross-regional and interdisciplinary research at various temporal and spatial scales. While several datasets have been compiled, there is a lack of crucial details regarding the archaeological context, geographic information, and essential parameters of the radiocarbon data. This databank seeks to bridge this gap by providing the most up-to-date comprehensive radiocarbon database of Chinese archaeology. This effort involves a systematic review of the relevant literature and the revision of earlier datasets. A total number of 7,083 radiocarbon dates, accompanied by their detailed information, were collected. This databank offers a valuable resource for interdisciplinary research that aims to quantify human activity in prehistoric China, and it establishes a foundational framework for future data collections.
Project(s)
Horsepower: interactions between China, Mongolia and the steppe 2000–0 BC
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
UK Research and Innovation | EP/X042332/1 |
European Research Council | Synergy grant 101071707 |
Journal title
Scientific Data
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
eISSN
2052-4463
Official URL
Keywords