| AOR Archaeology Online Resources |
| Basic Information on Experimental Dating |
| Experimental Dating |
| "Discover, Explore, and Learn from the Past!" |
| Experimental dating techniques are those that are not yet proven, but may one day become commonly used relative or absolute dating methods at archaeological sites. |
| Experimental Dating may not be a proven technique, but shows what may be used in the mainstream scientific community in the future. Some methods are more plausible than others. There are a wide range of experimental dating techniques. |
| Basic Principles |
| There are three major divisions when dating material: chronometric or absolute dating, relative dating, and experimental. Experimental dating techniques may not be currently proven, but some are promising and worth further investigation. Many experimental techniques work only under special circumstances or within specific environments. Some experimental techniques include: obsidian hydration dating, amino acid dating, cation-ratio dating, and electron spin resonance dating. Obsidian Hydration is a method which is soon becoming an absolute dating technique. Obsidian, which is black in color, is natural "volcanic glass." If a piece of obsidian is broken, water will penetrate the exposed surface and gradually diffuse into the structure of the obsidian. This penetration is visible under a microscope and can be seen in various color layers, measured in microns. If it can be found how long it takes to create one micron, one can extrapolate the age of a multi-banded piece of obsidian. The primary dilemmas that are faced with obsidian hydration, however, are that the temperature history must be known, the role of humidity needs analyzed, and at what rate hydration occurs. Some compartive data has been pursued with radiocarbon dates in hopes of finding a standard hydration rate...whether a steady rate or decreasing rate as bands increase in thickness. More data is necessary to further utilize this technique. |
| Amino Acid Racemization is an experimental absolute dating technique. It basically measures the conversion of "L" to "D" types of amino acids over a period of time. Such amino acids can conceivably be found on artifacts or items where such residue remains. However, this is quite likely an "environmental specific" technique as it does not seem to work within North America but may in areas of Africa. Once again, perhaps the role of humidity and aridity may have a role here. Cation-ratio can be used to date organic materials that were located on rock surfaces. Thus, rock art can theoretically be dated (also with the radiocarbon technique). Electron Spin Resonance Dating can be used to date materials with mineral content, such as quartz, fossilized teeth, calcium carbonate, flint, and coral. Radiation is used to cause electrons to separate from the atoms. These escaped electrons become trapped in the crystal structure of the mineral. This causes a change in the magnetic field of the material at a predictable rate that allows it to be dated. It gives the date of the last mineralization, sedimentation, or last heating of the mineral. |
| An Introduction to Optical Dating: The Dating of Quaternary Sediments by the Use of Photon-Stimulated Luminescence By: Martin J. Aitken |
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| Price: $195.00 |
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