The reliability of thermoluminescence dating: A pilot experiment

✍ Scribed by Yasushi Kojo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 499 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0883-6353
• DOI: 10.1002/gea.3340060404

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The accuracy of thermoluminescence dating of pottery was tested by utilizing dendro‐chronologically dated provenances in the northern part of the American Southwest. Fairly accurate determinations were achieved for potsherds recovered from sedimentary rock soil, while much younger dates were obtained for potsherds recovered from volcanic rock soil. The reduction of accumulated dose through radon escape might be responsible for the much younger dates of the sherds buried in volcanic soil. The application of the technique to samples recovered from soil matrices in volcanic materials, to burnt volcanic rocks, or to sherds containing ample volcanic rocks should be avoided for reliable determinations.