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How does carbon dating work?
Carbon dating measures the decay of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope found in all living things. Once an organism dies, carbon-14 starts to break down at a known rate. By measuring the remaining carbon-14 in the skeleton, archaeologists can estimate when the abbot died, providing a surprisingly precise timeline for ancient remains like these.
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Westminster Abbey's Roman Coffin Skeleton Likely an 11th-Century AbbotRelated explainers
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