The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word CARBONDATING
C
A
R
B
O
N
D
A
T
I
N
G
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The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.