Centre d'Analyses et de Recherche en Art et ArchéologieAll the techniques listed below are available at CARAA for dating the different types of archaeological and artistic materials. Each method has its own limitations, advantages, areas of uncertainty and technical restrictions (contamination, heating, concentration etc.)..
That is why each case study is analyzed thoroughly in order to determine the feasibility of dating and the required operating conditions.
“Directly” datable materials are ceramics, terracotta, carbon-based materials (such as wood, ivory, textiles, etc.), and some rocks and minerals. The characterization of pigments or metal alloys also enables “indirect” dating of an object by correlating historical and technological knowledge with the analyzed material.
• Thermoluminescence (TL) correspond to the ability of certain crystals to accumulate the energy released by radioactive ionizing radiation and to restore this energy under the form of light when they are submitted to heat. TL dating in archeology applies to materials such as pottery, terracotta, clay core in sculptures, burned or heated flints and…