This method has been successful due to the abundance of Carbon in organic matter and half life of its isotopes to be 5,730 years.
It has been used for scientific methods, like proving the validity of Dead Sea Scrolls, while also disproving the authenticity of artifacts like the Shroud of Turin.
Identify the method/science.
Show Answer
(Radio)Carbon Dating
It is based on the fact that radiocarbon (C14) is constantly being created in the Earth's atmosphere by the interaction of cosmic rays. The resulting C14 combines with atmospheric oxygen to form radioactive carbon dioxide, which is incorporated into plants by photosynthesis; animals then acquire C14 by eating the plants. When the animal or plant dies, it stops exchanging carbon with its environment, and thereafter the amount of C14 it contains begins to decrease as the C14 undergoes radioactive decay. Measuring the proportion of C14 in a sample from a dead plant or animal, such as a piece of wood or a fragment of bone, provides information that can be used to calculate when the animal or plant died.
Watch this Wild Video by Tom Lum on the topic.