The application of radiocarbon dating to archaeological samples generally requires calibration of ¹⁴C dates to calendar ages and interpretation of dating errors. Four recent methods of age calibration are assessed, particularly with regard to their quality of error treatment. Recent experimental research has suggested that commonly quoted errors on raw ¹⁴C dates may require enlargement to more realistic levels, which, when incorporated in the calibration schemes, produce a considerable increase in the size of the typical calibrated interval. A general decrease in the sensitivity of ¹⁴C dating using single, normal precision dates is implied. Thus typical calibrated age intervals range from 300 to 1300 years (approximate 95% confidence level), with little improvement resulting if high precision calibration systems are used to correct normal precision dates. Of the four methods considered here, that proposed by Neftel is found to provide the most objective, flexible, comprehensive, and easy to use scheme. This method is particularly recommended for its treatment of errors both on the dates to be calibrated and on the calibration curve itself. See also AATA Vol. 21, Abstract No. 1262, PAR No. 75320 for related paper.