RADIOCARBON DATING of ST. GEORGE'S ROTUNDA in NITRIANSKA BLATNICA (SLOVAKIA): INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM RESULTS

Pavel P. Povinec; Alexander Cherkinsky; Jozef Dorica; Irka Hajdas; A. J.Timothy Jull; Ivan Kontuľ; Mihály Molnár; Ivo Svetlik; Eva Maria Wild

doi:10.1017/RDC.2021.31

RADIOCARBON DATING of ST. GEORGE'S ROTUNDA in NITRIANSKA BLATNICA (SLOVAKIA): INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM RESULTS

Pavel P. Povinec, Alexander Cherkinsky, Jozef Dorica, Irka Hajdas, A. J.Timothy Jull, Ivan Kontuľ, Mihály Molnár, Ivo Svetlik, Eva Maria Wild

Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

An international consortium of radiocarbon (14C) laboratories was established to date the origin of the St. George's Rotunda in Nitrianska Blatnica (Slovakia), because its age was not well established in previous investigations. Altogether, 20 samples of wood, charcoal, mortar and plaster were analyzed. The 14C results obtained from the different laboratories as well as between the different sample types were in good agreement, resulting in a 14C calibrated age of 783-880 AD (94.2% probability) for the Rotunda. Although the 14C results have very good precision, the specific plateau-shape of the calibration curve in this period caused the wide range of the calibrated age. The probability distribution from OxCal calibration shows, however, that about 86% of the probability distribution lies in the period before 863 AD, implying that the Rotunda could have been constructed before the arrival of Constantine (St. Cyril) and St. Methodius to Great Moravia. The Rotunda thus probably represents the oldest standing purpose-built Christian church in the eastern part of Central Europe.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	953-976
Number of pages	24
Journal	Radiocarbon
Volume	63
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2021.31
State	Published - Jun 2021

Keywords

Nitrianska Blatnica
St. George's Rotunda
accelerator mass spectrometry
charcoal
mortar
plaster
radiocarbon dating
wood

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Archaeology
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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title = "RADIOCARBON DATING of ST. GEORGE'S ROTUNDA in NITRIANSKA BLATNICA (SLOVAKIA): INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM RESULTS",

abstract = "An international consortium of radiocarbon (14C) laboratories was established to date the origin of the St. George's Rotunda in Nitrianska Blatnica (Slovakia), because its age was not well established in previous investigations. Altogether, 20 samples of wood, charcoal, mortar and plaster were analyzed. The 14C results obtained from the different laboratories as well as between the different sample types were in good agreement, resulting in a 14C calibrated age of 783-880 AD (94.2% probability) for the Rotunda. Although the 14C results have very good precision, the specific plateau-shape of the calibration curve in this period caused the wide range of the calibrated age. The probability distribution from OxCal calibration shows, however, that about 86% of the probability distribution lies in the period before 863 AD, implying that the Rotunda could have been constructed before the arrival of Constantine (St. Cyril) and St. Methodius to Great Moravia. The Rotunda thus probably represents the oldest standing purpose-built Christian church in the eastern part of Central Europe.",

keywords = "Nitrianska Blatnica, St. George's Rotunda, accelerator mass spectrometry, charcoal, mortar, plaster, radiocarbon dating, wood",

author = "Povinec, {Pavel P.} and Alexander Cherkinsky and Jozef Dorica and Irka Hajdas and Jull, {A. J.Timothy} and Ivan Kontu{\v I} and Mih{\'a}ly Moln{\'a}r and Ivo Svetlik and Wild, {Eva Maria}",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1017/RDC.2021.31",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "63",

pages = "953--976",

journal = "Radiocarbon",

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publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

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T1 - RADIOCARBON DATING of ST. GEORGE'S ROTUNDA in NITRIANSKA BLATNICA (SLOVAKIA)

T2 - INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM RESULTS

AU - Povinec, Pavel P.

AU - Cherkinsky, Alexander

AU - Dorica, Jozef

AU - Hajdas, Irka

AU - Jull, A. J.Timothy

AU - Kontuľ, Ivan

AU - Molnár, Mihály

AU - Svetlik, Ivo

AU - Wild, Eva Maria

PY - 2021/6

Y1 - 2021/6

N2 - An international consortium of radiocarbon (14C) laboratories was established to date the origin of the St. George's Rotunda in Nitrianska Blatnica (Slovakia), because its age was not well established in previous investigations. Altogether, 20 samples of wood, charcoal, mortar and plaster were analyzed. The 14C results obtained from the different laboratories as well as between the different sample types were in good agreement, resulting in a 14C calibrated age of 783-880 AD (94.2% probability) for the Rotunda. Although the 14C results have very good precision, the specific plateau-shape of the calibration curve in this period caused the wide range of the calibrated age. The probability distribution from OxCal calibration shows, however, that about 86% of the probability distribution lies in the period before 863 AD, implying that the Rotunda could have been constructed before the arrival of Constantine (St. Cyril) and St. Methodius to Great Moravia. The Rotunda thus probably represents the oldest standing purpose-built Christian church in the eastern part of Central Europe.

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KW - radiocarbon dating

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RADIOCARBON DATING of ST. GEORGE'S ROTUNDA in NITRIANSKA BLATNICA (SLOVAKIA): INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM RESULTS

Abstract

Keywords

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