An Intercomparison of Some AMS and Small Gas Counter Laboratories

Abstract

The performance of six laboratories with the capacity to date small samples (4 AMS and 2 small gas-counter laboratories) has been compared using 100mg samples of textiles from Ancient Egypt and Peru, with the British Museum laboratory acting as independent coordinator. This intercomparison was one of normal practices and has demonstrated that a coherent series of results can be obtained when several laboratories undertake blindfold measurements, although the occurrence of outliers emphasizes the continuing need for the dating of unusually important or controversial samples to be undertaken by a group of laboratories.