Archeologists are forced to rely on other methods for carbon dating due to the rising fossil fuel emissions that alter the composition of carbon isotopes in the air.
Fossil fuel emissions have been increasing through the years and putting a strain on the processes of carbon dating researchers. The researchers that monitor the rising levels of carbon dioxide have experienced a conflict in their process. The burning of these fossil fuels have resulted in a significant shift in the composition of carbon isotopes in the air of the Northern Hemisphere, canceling out a useful signal from nuclear-weapons testing. This new conflict could make it difficult to tell if something is modern or 1,000 years old, and poses effects on the future of radiocarbon dating procedures.
