Thermoluminescence

(TL)

ARCHAEO 2

Collado Corsino - Monzon

What is
Thermoluminescence?
a method of dating developed by Martin Jim
Aitken, an archaeometrist, in the early 1960s
for dating pottery
This method is also applicable to sediments.
(Wintle, 1980).
Effective range: 1000 to 500, 000 (US
geological survey)

What is
Thermoluminescence?
Used on:
sediments
crystal calcites
buried artifacts with crystal or
imperfect lattices

Principles and
Methods


Mechanics of TL
Ionization of electrons
Immediate capture
Eviction
Combination

from the presentation of Keizars (1980)

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Things to account on
actual measurement of
TL
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Incandescence

red-hot glow
Spurious TL
non-radiation-induced TL

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A diagram illustration of TL measurement apparatus.

(retrieved from Aitken, 1990)

Methods involved in TL
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The Plateau test

Plateau test is done to an archaeological sample
to cancel out systematic errors and backup
practical approaches in preventing spurious TL.

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Determining Age
Paelodose is the natural dose received by the
sample since its last heating.
Annual Dose is the rate of dose per year
received by the material and it differs for every
material.

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Annual Dose

Fine VS Coarse Grain

Methods
Fine grain method

Coarse grain method

This method aims to
determine the
paleodose by taking
advantage of the beta
and gamma dose
present in the sample
(100 to 500 m).

This method aims to

determine the
paleodose by taking
advantage of alpha
dose present in the
sample (>10 m).

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Acceptability of Sample
Minimum size: 1cm thick and
3cm across
Soil 30cm around the sample is
needed
Water sample nearest to the
sample is also needed
No to exposure to any form of
light

Methods of context
dose measurement
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Capsule Burial
Portable gamma
spectrometer
Gamma Scintillometer

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Applications

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Paleoclimatology
In Rajasthan, India, TL has been applied for
dating sand dunes. This particular application
assumes that exposure to sunlight causes
bleaching of the geological TL of a sediment,
such that TL accumulation starts again when
the sediment is buried under fresh deposit and
is thus shielded from the Sun.
This new application to sand dunes provides
the first reliable dating control for dune
dynamics, palaeoclimatology and spread of
deserts (Singhvi, 1982).

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Sedimentation
The use of TL to date the deposition of ocean
sediments was proposed by Wintle and Huntley
(1979). Their research recognized experimental
evidence that indicated that some event with
the same result in nature does occur.
Their results showed that exposure to sunlight
could be this event, concluding that TL dates
obtained for an ocean sediment core are in
agreement with dates determined
independently.

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Stone Artifacts
In Nigeria, a new civilization was rediscovered
by Peter Breunig and his team, following a
1940s thermoluminescent test brought
artifacts to roughly 500 BC (from an earlier
radiocarbon dating range of 440 BC to AD 200.
(Atwood, 2011).
In northern Australia, it has been used to date
rock-shelters in Jinmium, whose apparent
evidence of stone carvings (Fullagar et al,
1996) and pecked rock markings (Watchman et
al, 2000) have been a source of controversy.

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Ceramics and Pottery

In 2008, Yarmouk University team, with the
supportof theJordanian Department of
Antiquities, found a collection of pottery and
shards atTellalHusninnorthernJordan.
TLtechniqueswere employed, and
showedthat the pottery objects are dated
back around to 3400to3700yearsBP
(LateBronzeAge). This age is consistent with
that estimated bytypologystudies
(Khasswneh, S., Z. al Muheisen, R. abd-Allah
(2011).

Advantages

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This can give you definite age of

the sample
It can cover the time interval
between radiocarbon and some
part potassium-argon dating or
10 500 000 years.

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It can be used to date materials

that cannot be dated by
radiocarbon and potassium-argon
dating
It is the most effective dating for
volcanic rocks and quartz
phenocrysts.

Disadvantage
s

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It has a 7-10% error in the result(for

well sampled artifacts and sediments).
Its extent of dating has a limit.
It cannot be used for organic materials.
It does not measure the absolute age
of the material but the last time it was
fired, exposed to extreme heat or direct
sunlight

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The presence of external radiation and

other factors can affect the dating of
artifact.
Getting sample for this dating is
difficult.
Indonesia, West Mexico and some part
of Oceania do not successfully yield TL
dates.
It is very costly

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The process is a time consuming

process
TL is cannot be used when there is a
presence of material that decompose
when heated.
Piezoluminescence and
Triboluminescence can be observed
that can cause inaccurate TL results.

Good samples give good

dates, Bad samples seldom
provide reliable ages.

Keep away your

notes!

References
Aitken, M.J.(1990) Science-based dating in archaeology. London:
England 1990
Aspects of Archaeology: Thermoluminescence Dating (2011). [a video
on Youtube] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=T6NxycC7Lco on February 14, 2015.
Price, David M.(2003) Thermoluminescence (TL) Dating. School of
Earth and Environmental Science, University of Wollongong. 10
December 2013. Wollongong, Australia. 11 February 2015.
http://smah.uow.edu.au/sees/facilities/UOW002896.html
Thermoluminescence (ND). [ online blog ] retrieved from
http://geology.cr.usgs.gov
/capabilities/gronemtrac/geochron/thermo/tech.html
V.J. Bortolot, Ph.D. Daybreak Nuclear and Medical System Inc.
Wintle, A.G.(2008) Fifty years of luminescence dating. Institute of
Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University,
Aberystwyth SY23 3DB, UK

Fullagar, R. L. K., D. M. Price and L. M. Head (1996). Early

human occupation of northern Australia: archaeology
and thermoluminescence dating of Jinmium rock-shelter,
Northern Territory. Antiquity, 70, pp 751-773.
doi:10.1017/S0003598X00084040.
Watchman, Alan, Paul Taon, Richard Fullagar and Lesley
Head. Archaeology in Oceania, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Apr.,
2000), pp. 1-10
Roberts, Richard G., Rhys Jones & M. A. Smith (1990).
Thermoluminescence dating of a 50,000-year-old human
occupation site in northern Australia. Nature 345, 153156 (10 May 1990)
A. K.Singhvi, Y. P.Sharma*&D. P.Agrawal.
Thermoluminescence dating of sand dunes in Rajasthan,
India. Nature 295, 313 - 315 (28 January 1982)
A. G.Wintle,D. J.Huntley. Thermoluminescence dating of
a deep-sea sediment core. Nature 279, 710 - 712 (21
June 1979)
Khasswneh, S., Z. al Muheisen, R. abd-Allah (2011).
Thermoluminescence Dating of Potter Objects from Tell
Al-Husn, Northern Jordan. Mediterranean Archaeology
and Archaeometry, Vol 11, No. 1, pp 41-49
Atwood, Roger (2011). The Nok of Nigeria. Archaeology
Archive. Vol. 64, No. 4