Luminescence dating of archaeological materials and sediments in Romania using quartz

Abstract

Luminescence dating exploits the dosimetric properties of mineral grains found in archaeological and geological materials of interest. The use of luminescence dating in archaeometry stretches back more than half a century, starting with thermoluminescence (TL) dating of heated artifacts. The subsequent development of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and protocols such as the single aliquot regeneration protocol (SAR) have increased the accuracy and precision of luminescence dating significantly. Quartz-based SAR-OSL dating is now generally considered as a reliable chronological tool, and it is increasingly used in a wide variety of (geo)archaeological studies. Optical dating of quartz has recently been implemented at Babes-Bolyai University (Cluj-Napoca, Romania). This paper documents the instruments and methods as used in this newly-established state of the art luminescence dating laboratory