Process / pipelineRadiometric
Thermoluminescence Dating
Thermoluminescence (TL) dating is a chronometric technique that determines the age of pottery, ceramics, and sediments by measuring light emitted when heated to high temperatures. Pioneered by Michael Aitken in the 1960s, it quantifies the accumulated radiation dose stored in mineral crystal lattices. The method revolutionized archaeological dating by enabling scientists to date ceramic vessels and fired clay objects directly, providing absolute chronologies for human occupation sites worldwide.
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Sources
- Aitken, M. J. (1985). Thermoluminescence Dating. Academic Press. link ↗
- Prescott, J. R., & Hutton, J. T. (1994). Cosmic ray contributions to dose rates for luminescence and ESR dating: Large depths and long-term time variations. Radiation Measurements, 23(2-3), 497-500. DOI: 10.1016/1350-4487(94)90086-8 ↗
- Wintle, A. G. (2005). Luminescence dating: laboratory procedures and protocols. Radiation Measurements, 27(5-6), 769-817. DOI: 10.1016/S1350-4487(97)00222-5 ↗