AMS and controversies in history: The Spanish conquest of Peru

The quest for understanding the past often contains a subjective component. Legends, myths, traditions and personal beliefs can unconsciously influenc e the interpretation of the scientific outcomes or, in the worst instances, even lead to forgery. Fortunately, an increasing number of scientific tool s are available nowadays and can be combined to discredit such detriments a nd offer more reliable foundations for an objective analysis. Radiocarbon d ating by AMS is a relatively non-invasive method and is particularly useful when valuable historical artefacts are involved. In this paper, we will pr esent controversial cases where AMS is playing an important role in underst anding the past. In particular, we will discuss the use of AMS to authentic ate historical documents revealing a new version of the conquest of Peru by Pizarro in the early 1530s. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.