A radiocarbon database for Scottish archaeological samples

For the majority of dating laboratories and their respective user communiti es, the journal Radiocarbon is no longer regarded as the medium for primary publication of radiocarbon measurements. In compliance with editorial poli cy, the emphasis has long since moved towards the publication of research p apers on technological enhancements and applications of C-14 as well as oth er cosmogenic isotopes and this has left a requirement for an alternative m edium for the publication of date lists per se. In the late 1980s, an Inter national Radiocarbon Data Base was proposed by Renee Kra (then the managing editor) but limitations in computer and communications technologies togeth er with the inevitable financial implications meant that this timely concep t could not be taken to completion. In the last year, we have taken advanta ge of the development of the worldwide web to compile a database of C-14 ag e measurements of a Scottish archaeological nature which can be found at th e web address http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/.