CeNT Seminar (Wed, May 13th, 2026): Radiocarbon dating of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition: Challenges and recent results
06 05 2026
Category: CeNT news, CeNT seminars, Main page, Science news
The Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw invites to a seminar by:
prof. Tom Higham
Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna
Title: Radiocarbon dating of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition: Challenges and recent results
Date: Wed May 13th, 2026
Time: 15:00 (Central European Time)
Host: prof. Małgorzata Kot
The seminar will be held in the 00.142 auditorium, Banacha 2c
Abstract:
Radiocarbon dating forms the backbone for much of the chronology of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic, marking the date when Neanderthals disappear from the world and only modern humans remain. Because radiocarbon reaches its limit at 50-55,000 years, small amounts of contamination can make a significant difference to accuracy, unless removed. I will present some of our latest results showing how this can be achieved, and the newest results from several key sites dating to this period.
Biography:
Professor Tom Higham, an archaeologist and specialist in radiocarbon dating. He worked for many years as a professor of archaeology at the University of Oxford and is currently a professor of archaeology in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna. Professor Higham is also the author of a popular science book on human evolution, translated into Polish, entitled Not Just Homo sapiens: A New History of Human Origins.