Radiocarbon dating is widely regarded as a reliable method for determining the age of objects. However, measurements using carbon-14 can produce inaccurate results if incorrect assumptions are made prior to conducting the analysis.
Controversies Regarding Dating Viking Bones
The study of certain Viking bones has revealed that radiocarbon dating does not work universally in every context. For decades, controversies persisted regarding the age attribution of some Viking remains. It is only in recent years that it has been demonstrated that carbon-14 dating relies on assumptions that, if flawed, can lead to misleading conclusions.1
In the 1980s, a mass grave containing 250 to 300 skeletons was discovered in the village of Repton, Derbyshire, England. Based on reliable eyewitness accounts, many contemporary historians have concluded that these remains belonged to Scandinavian Vikings from the Great Heathen Army,2, who wintered in Repton in 873-874.
Scientists employing standard radiocarbon dating techniques, based on the residual carbon-14 present in the bones, concluded that the initial timeframe was erroneous. Their analysis indicated that the bones were, in fact, at least a century older than previously estimated.1 However, historical records do not support the presence of a Viking army in Derbyshire during the 7th or 8th century.
Given this, can radiocarbon age estimates be deemed reliable? Or does the application of one of the fundamental assumptions underlying carbon-141,4 dating methods prove invalid in the case of the Repton skeletons?
A Faulty Assumption
A fundamental assumption in radiometric dating methods is that human skeletons contain organic material with radiocarbon that decays at a constant rate. This radiocarbon is linked to the process of photosynthesis, through which atmospheric CO2 is absorbed by plants and incorporated into their carbohydrates. When plants are consumed, the radiocarbon in these carbohydrates is metabolized and incorporated into the body of the herbivore.4
Humans, therefore, acquire carbon-14 both directly through the consumption of plants and indirectly through the consumption of herbivorous animals (e.g., cattle). Radiocarbon dating methods further assume that human skeletons primarily contain carbon-14 derived from a diet based on terrestrial food sources.1,4,5
However, a diet rich in fish and shellfish presents a challenge to this assumption.1,5 Vikings, for example, were known to rely heavily on fish as a primary food source. Fish, unlike terrestrial foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, or meat from domesticated animals, contain considerably less carbon-14. This discrepancy in carbon-14 content further complicates the application of standard radiocarbon dating methods.1,2,5
Therefore, while radiocarbon dating can accurately determine the age of human and animal remains, its reliability may be compromised if the assumptions about carbon-14 intake do not reflect the actual diet.
As a result, the skeletons of Vikings, who predominantly consumed fish, seem to contain far less carbon-14 than expected. This discrepancy leads to the conclusion that they lived centuries earlier than they truly did.1,4,5
Conclusion
It appears that empirical observations alone are insufficient for determining the truth.3,6 To accurately interpret events, the testimony of eyewitnesses is essential. Thus, to understand our origins, it is necessary to rely on the account of an eyewitness—namely, God, as presented in the Book of Genesis.
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- Speech – A Unique Human Ability
- What Does the Bible Say About a Healthy Diet and Nutrition?
- Axis of Evil – Could It Overturn the Big Bang Theory?
- The Origin of Viruses: Three Possible Variants
- Defining the Human-Animal Divide
Footnotes
- Jarman, C.L., et al., 2018. The Viking Great Army in England: New dates from the Repton charnel. Antiquity, 92(361), pp. 183-199.
- Haywood, J., 1995. The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings. London: Penguin Books, pp. 12-13, 62-63.
- The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Job 38:4. Johnson, J.J.S., 2008. The Evidence of Nothing. Acts & Facts, 37(4), pp. 4-5. See also Johnson, J.J.S., 2012. Genesis Critics Flunk Forensic Science 101. Acts & Facts, 41(3), pp. 8-
- Morris, J.D., 2007. The Geology Book. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, p.
- Arneborg, J., et al., 1999. Change of Diet of the Greenland Vikings Determined from Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis and 14C Dating of Their Bones. Radiocarbon, 41(2), pp. 157-168.
- Johnson, J.J.S. and Tomkins, J., 2015. Blood Crying from the Ground, a Forensic Science Perspective, Illustrated by the Gruesome Killing of America’s Most Hated Woman. Presented at the Creation Research Society Conference, Dallas, Texas, 31 July. See also Johnson, J.J.S., 2016. There’s Nothing Like an Eyewitness. Acts & Facts, 45(12), p. 20.
Compiled from: J. J. S. Johnson, „Viking bones contradict carbon-14 assumptions”, Acts&Facts, Institute for Creation Research, May 2018, p. 21.
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