Its a very popular dating method in archaeology because not only can it date pottery, the type of material we find the most when excavating, but it can also date further back than 50,000 years unlike radiocarbon dating. That, and it much cheaper in comparison to other dating methods.
What is thermoluminescence dating in history?
Thermoluminescence dating (TL) is the determination, by means of measuring the accumulated radiation dose, of the time elapsed since material containing crystalline minerals was either heated (lava, ceramics) or exposed to sunlight (sediments).
What can be deduced using thermoluminescence TL dating?
Thermoluminescence can be used to date materials containing crystalline minerals to a specific heating event. This is useful for ceramics, as it determines the date of firing, as well as for lava, or even sediments that were exposed to substantial sunlight.
Which type of dating is more accurate?
absolute dating The fossils which are buried deep inside the earth are more ancient. While in the absolute dating, isotopes of carbon are used for dating fossils. The absolute dating is more precise than relative dating because it tells the exact age of the fossils. Both are ultimately based on the fossils found in the strata.