Castlepook’s Mammoth-Steppe Fauna
It is important not to convert a BCE label mechanically into an archaeological event. Radiocarbon determinations are commonly reported in radiocarbon years before present (BP), where “present” is AD 1950; they must then be calibrated against changing atmospheric carbon levels to estimate calendar ages. The resulting ranges can be broad, especially at this age. A date from an animal bone establishes when the animal died, within stated uncertainty; it does not automatically date a scratch on that bone, prove human contact, or establish the date of a cave deposit containing it.