C (the period of time after which half of a given sample will have decayed) is about 5,730 years, the oldest dates that can be reliably measured by this process date to approximately 50,000 years ago, although special preparation methods occasionally make accurate analysis of older samples possible.

Does radiocarbon dating work on bones?

Bones are one of the most common materials sent to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) labs for radiocarbon dating. This is because bones of animals or humans are often subjects of archaeological studies. More in-depth information about old civilizations is also available due to radiocarbon dating results on bones.