Since the Neolithic Age, lime mortar has been widely used as construction and decoration materials for buildings, such as cementing materials for brick wall gaps, surfaces for house sites, and ground layers for murals. The manufacture of lime mortar is directly related to the construction, repair and mural painting of buildings, which means lime mortar is an important type of dating material for the study of ancient buildings. Due to the production process, raw materials and preservation state, the composition of lime mortar is complex, because the inorganic components may contain interfering components generated in other ages, and the large organic remains such as animal and plant fibers could hardly be preserved. Thus, it is difficult to accurately determine the carbon age of lime mortar. This study reviews the characterization and pretreatment methods for radiocarbon dating-used lime mortar, as well as recent research achievements concerning the formation mechanisms of inorganic components, and summarizes the progress and shortcomings. The study also proposes possible future research directions, such as computer simulation of the influence of interfering components and developing organic residue dating methods.