Age of an old wooden idol is determined by using which one of the following ?

The age of an old wooden idol is determined using carbon dating, also known as radiocarbon dating. This method is a form of radiometric dating used by archaeologists and geologists to determine the age of organic materials [t4]. It relies on measuring the decay of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 (14C) that was absorbed by the organism while it was alive [t4][t6]. Since wood is a biological material derived from trees, it contains carbon that can be analyzed to calculate the time elapsed since the tree was cut [t3][t5]. While physical properties like density and water content are used to assess the preservation state or degradation of waterlogged archaeological wood, they do not provide a chronometric age [t1][t2]. Carbon dating remains the standard scientific technique for establishing the historical chronology of organic artifacts like wooden idols [c1][t10].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/radiocarbon-date
2. [2] https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000044556
3. [3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s40494-025-01604-2
4. [4] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Evolution of Society in South India > Porunai: The Cradle of Tamil Civilisation > p. 72