[en] The accelerator facility ALICE were used to count directly small quantities (approximately 5x10⁹ atoms) of the isotope ²⁶Al (half-life=7.3x10⁵ years). It is shown how measurement of this nuclide in marine sediments, in conjunction with similar measurements of ¹⁰Be (half-life=1.5x10⁶ years), can be used as an absolute dating technique. The method used here to avoid interference from the isobar ²⁶Mg is applicable to a number of other isobars of interesting long lived nuclides, thus expanding the potential application of the accelerator technique