Thermoluminescence dating archaeology

Luminescence Dating

Luminescence dating methods are less well known than carbon 14, and their use remains limited in historical archaeology. TL thermoluminescence allows the last heating of the material to be dated, whether clay or hearthstones quartzite, flint, sandstone…. This method is frequently used in prehistory, where remains of other kinds are less abundant. However, applications have been tested on materials more connected to historical issues, such as architectural terracottas for example. One of the most frequent uses lies in kiln dating, where TL is one of the most suitable methods along with archaeomagnetism. As a complement to thermoluminescence dating, OSL offers complementary perspectives.

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A dating technique applicable to pottery and other ceramic materials. It works on the principle that all matter is constantly bombarded by cosmic rays and radiation given off from the decay of radioactive elements in the ground and in objects themselves. Minerals that are bombarded in this way by radiation build up a store of energy within their crystalline structure which is released when heated. The longer or more intense the bombardment, the more energy is stored and thus the more there is to be released. After excavation a shard can be heated again and its stored energy released and measured. If the level and extent of bombardment to which the pottery has been exposed while buried is known the dose rate , or can be estimated, then the age of a sample can be calculated in terms of the time that has elapsed since it was last heated.

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Datazione di ceramiche romane con il metodo della Termoluminescenza. A large area on the northern slope of the Palatino is under excavation since autumn within the boundaries of Sacra Via to the North, Nova Via to the South, Atrium Vestae to the West and the Arch of Titus to che East; the sequence of human occupation in this residencial area, from medieval times down to the earliest phases of roman history, has been reconstructed. The main results obtained during excavations consist in the discovery of remains of large houses, facing the Sacra Via and dating back to the 2nd half of the 6th century B. For setting up the dating thermoluminescent system of the Physics Department, several samples from excavation have been studied by the quartz inclusion technique. The average TL age of the site gives a value of B.

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Thermoluminescence Dating

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