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The intercept is a poor estimate of a calibrated radiocarbon age

Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Allégaten 55, N-5007 Bergen, Norway; richard.telford{at}bjerknes.uib.no

E. Heegaard

Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Allégaten 55, N-5007 Bergen, Norway; Botanical Institute, University of Bergen, Allégaten 41, N-5007 Bergen, Norway

H. J.B. Birks

Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Allégaten 55, N-5007 Bergen, Norway; Botanical Institute, University of Bergen, Allégaten 41, N-5007 Bergen, Norway; Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK

Intercept-based methods of generating a point estimate of a calibrated radiocarbon date are very popular, but exhibit undesirable behaviour. They are highly sensitive to the mean of the radiocarbon date and to adjustments of the calibration curve. Other methods give more stable results. The weighted average of the probability distribution function is recommended as the best central-point estimate, but more consideration should be given to using the full probability distribution rather than a point estimate in developing age-depth models.

Key Words: Radiocarbon dating • calibration • intercept • weighted average • methodology • Holocene

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