Text and context

[Koen G]

For me the question is: why does one want to deviate from the C14 framework? Is it because something has been observed in the artefact that raises serious, scientifically legitimate concerns? In that case, present the evidence and it will speak for itself. 

Is it because your proposed author lived later so you need the VM date to be later? In that case, your author is probably wrong.


There are a few ways to date an artefact. Carbon dating is one, which gives us the 1404–1438 range. If you have images of clothing, you're in luck because fashion is another. This gives us a ca. 1400 - 1430 range. If you were to take the VM to museum curators with the proper expertise in fashion and show them the Zodiac figures, they would say: 1430 or earlier.

Both carbon dating and fashion by themselves are enough for professionals to date an artefact. How lucky are we that we have both! And they overlap beautifully! The height of the fashion was in the 1410's and 1420's, right in the middle of the C14 range.

I cannot stress this enough: having both C14 analysis and fashion available to us and overlap so nicely is a tremendous luxury. This is not conclusive, it is double conclusive. Why struggle?