Radiocarbon dating of an ancient Japanese document “Minamoto no Yoritomo Sodehan Migyosho” by accelerator mass spectrometry

• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-007-0543-0
• Publication Date: 2007-02-26T08:14:18Z
• Authors: H. Oda; M. Akiyama; T. Masuda; T. Nakamura
• Keywords: Accelerator mass spectrometry

We measured radiocarbon age of an ancient document “Minamoto no Yoritomo Sodehan Migyosho”. The content tells that it was issued in 1189 by “Minamoto no Yoritomo” known as the virtually first shogun in Japan to grant “Matsugi” family the privilege of controlling craftsmen of foundry industry. Paleographical views, however, suggested that it can be a counterfeit. The radiocarbon dating clarified that the document was written not in the 12th but after the 16th century.