Researchers report that radiocarbon dating of tree rings in wood from the base of the Por-Bajin monument in southern Siberia exhibited the signature of a sudden increase in atmospheric 14C known to have occurred in the year 775 CE; this finding, along with analysis of the last growth ring's microstructure, allowed the authors to determine the exact year and season when construction of Por-Bajin began--the summer of 777 CE--shedding light on the monument's origin and purpose.
Article #19-21301: "Radiocarbon-based approach capable of subannual precision resolves the origins of the site of Por-Bajin," by Margot Kuitems et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Margot Kuitems, University of Groningen, NETHERLANDS; tel: +31-619645787; e-mail: m.kuitems@rug.nl
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences