RADIOCARBON DATING OF LEGACY MUSIC INSTRUMENT COLLECTIONS: EXAMPLE OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN VINA FROM THE MUSÉE DE LA MUSIQUE, PARIS

Although radiocarbon ( 14 C) dating is commonly used for archeological music instruments, little research has been conducted on modern instruments (16th–19th centuries). New technology, based on the Mini Carbon Dating System (MICADAS), enables some of the recurring challenges (e.g. sampling size) to be circumvented and paves the way for a new field of investigation. We here address the Indian instrumentarium, about which very little is known. We investigate the making and the restoration phases of two vina , a kinnari vina (E.1444), and a rudra vina or bin (E.997.24.1). By comparing 14 C measurements made on several samplings of elements of the instruments with museological information, we were able to specify a unique calibrated interval of ages [1666 AD–1690 AD] for the kinnari vina , with a restoration phase [1678 AD–1766 AD] for the upper nut. The bin is likely attributed to the [1650 AD–1683 AD] interval.