Ancient history

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)

This technique is similar to TL but the signal from which the dating is obtained is obtained by optical stimulation , investing the sample with a photon beam .
The method applies to materials exposed to strong heat sources (fire or sunlight).
It is used to date archaeological materials (ceramics, oven walls, burnt lithic objects), but also loess and aeolian sands, although for these materials there may be doubts that their system has not been completely zeroed by sunlight before burial.
The chronological interval is about 100,000 years and the accuracy is around 10% error, although new measurement techniques tend to reduce this margin.


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