(1) Radiocarbon dating Explanation: Radiocarbon dating (usually referred to as simply carbon dating) is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 (14C) to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. The technique of radiocarbon dating was developed by Willard Libby and his colleagues at the University of Chicago in 1949.