Which one was right?

Why The Collagen Won — And What That Number Meant

The discordance between the osteocalcin and collagen dates from Arlington Springs was not unique to this site.

It was a problem that the broader field of ancient bone dating had been grappling with, and the resolution of that problem had implications far beyond any single site.

The shorter osteocalcin age — roughly 6,600 radiocarbon years, meaning the bones would be less old than even Orr’s original estimate — was rejected on chemical grounds.

Osteocalcin, because of its small molecular size and specific chemistry, is more susceptible than collagen to contamination by younger carbon.