BCal help system: The Tutorial

Show the corresponding software page in the BCal work area

Step A12:  Pooled means elicitation

A pooled mean is commonly calculated for a collection of determinations which are known to date exactly the same archaeological event.  The radiocarbon means and associated errors are mathematically combined as part of the calibration process to create a single estimate for the date of that event.  This is why the concept of a determination parameter is important.  A determination parameter represents a single calendar event, regardless of the number of determinations that relate to it.

At this fishpond, all the samples give rise to only one determination each.  Consequently, we do not need to create a pooled mean, and so "no" should remain selected for the question "Do you want to create a pooled mean?"
 


Go back to the previous step Go to the first step Go to the next step