Chronology of early China: A radiocarbon databank for Chinese archaeology

Journal article

The role of radiocarbon dating in Chinese archaeology has grown increasingly significant in recent decades. Thousands of archaeological radiocarbon dates have been published along with the development of multiple laboratories. However, radiocarbon dates were published in a fragmented manner, in different languages and limited to specific archaeological sites or topics. This fragmentation has created substantial barriers to cross-regional and interdisciplinary research at various temporal and spatial scales. While several datasets have been compiled, there is a lack of crucial details regarding the archaeological context, geographic information, and essential parameters of the radiocarbon data. This databank seeks to bridge this gap by providing the most up-to-date comprehensive radiocarbon database of Chinese archaeology. This effort involves a systematic review of the relevant literature and the revision of earlier datasets. A total number of 7,083 radiocarbon dates, accompanied by their detailed information, were collected. This databank offers a valuable resource for interdisciplinary research that aims to quantify human activity in prehistoric China, and it establishes a foundational framework for future data collections.

Authors: Qiu, M; Du, L; Staff, R; Yan, Z; Yan, T

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Journal: Scientific Data
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Article number: 1665
• Publication date: 2025-10-21
• Acceptance date: 2025-09-08
• DOI: 10.1038/s41597-025-05956-z
• EISSN: 2052-4463
• ISSN: 2052-4463
• Language: English