It emerged from nuclear physics, where particle accelerators were already in use for fundamental research.

The application of accelerators to radiocarbon measurement was proposed in the mid-1970s and demonstrated practically in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The key laboratories that pioneered archaeological applications included facilities at the University of Toronto, Simon Fraser University, and later at facilities across North America and Europe.

The advantages of AMS over conventional radiocarbon counting were transformative for specific categories of archaeological material: tiny samples, precious objects, materials that had previously been impossible to date because the required sample size would have destroyed them entirely.

A single seed.