How do archaeologists typically determine the age of fossils?

Carbon dating is a widely used method by archaeologists to determine the age of fossils, particularly those that are up to about 50,000 years old. This technique relies on the decay of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon, which is found in organic materials. Living organisms absorb carbon from the atmosphere, and when they die, they stop taking in carbon. The carbon-14 begins to decay at a known rate (its half-life is about 5,730 years), allowing scientists to calculate how long it has been since the organism died by measuring the remaining amount of carbon-14 in the sample.

This method is particularly effective for dating organic materials like wood or bones, making it invaluable in archaeology for understanding the timeline of human activity and environmental change in various regions, including Michigan. It provides a quantifiable age in years, offering insights into the timeframes associated with different archaeological finds.