IntCal20 Tree Rings: An Archaeological Swot Analysis
Alex Bayliss, Peter Marshall, Michael Dee, Michael Friedrich, Timothy Heaton, Lukas Wacker
Abstract
ABSTRACT We undertook a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of Northern Hemisphere tree-ring datasets included in IntCal20 in order to evaluate their strategic fit with the demands of archaeological users. Case studies on wiggle-matching single tree rings from timbers in historic buildings and Bayesian modeling of series of results on archaeological samples from Neolithic long barrows in central-southern England exemplify the archaeological implications that arise when using IntCal20. The SWOT analysis provides an opportunity to think strategically about future radiocarbon ( 14 C) calibration so as to maximize the utility of 14 C dating in archaeology and safeguard its reputation in the discipline.