In the latter half of the 20th century the discipline of archaeology was revolutionised by the advent of scientific techniques. The main contribution of these methods was that they allowed academics to date the artefacts that they found. The main method of doing this was radiocarbon dating. This is the scientific process that allows scientists to determine how old pieces of organic matter are. This is done by measuring the number of Carbon-14 isotopes they have at the atomic level.

In the 1940s, archaeologists like Gordon Childe believed in a theory called ‘cultural diffusion’. The theory went that prehistoric sites, like Stonehenge, were distant copies of the Egyptian pyramids. Like the children’s game of whispers, with each copy they got further and further away from the original.

A photograph of the ancient English monument Stonehenge. Rocks arranged in a circular formation stand on grass. Blue sky behind.

Childe’s theory might sound strange now but at the time this was the common-sense view amongst academics in Britain. What radiocarbons did was entirely disprove this theory by providing accurate dates for both the pyramids and Stonehenge. Radiocarbons demonstrated that Stonehenge was in fact older than the pyramids, proving that this once respected theory was, well, wrong! Accepted views were challenged by critical thought, and evidence, to change how the topic was understood.

Task

Now you have read this abstract, ask yourself: what enabled these accepted beliefs to be challenged?
Note down your thoughts.

If you are interested in finding out more:

World Archaeology (2009) 'Radiocarbon revolution'. Available at: https://www.world-archaeology.com/great-discoveries/radiocarbon-revolution/ (Accessed: 10 April 2024).
Childe, V. (1942) What happened in history. Harmondsworth and New York: Penguin Books Ltd.
Renfrew, C. (1973) Before civilization: radiocarbon revolution and prehistoric Europe. London: Pimlico.

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