While radiocarbon dating is useful only for materials that were once alive, scientists can use uranium-thorium-lead dating to measure the age of objects such as rocks. In this method, scientists measure the quantity of a variety of different radioactive isotopes, all of which decay into stable forms of lead.While radiocarbon dating is useful only for materials that were once alive, scientists can use uranium-thorium-lead dating

Which was the first method used to determine ages?

Radiometric Dating To establish the age of a rock or a fossil, researchers use some type of clock to determine the date it was formed. Geologists commonly use radiometric dating methods, based on the natural radioactive decay of certain elements such as potassium and carbon, as reliable clocks to date ancient events.

How old is a skeleton?

One scientific technique scientists will often turn to is carbon-14 dating. This technique has proved to be quite accurate for determining the age of ancient artifacts that have a biological origin, such as bones or wood or plant fibers, up to approximately 60,000 years old.