Luminescence Dating

Recently a new kinetic model was presented in the literature, which describes localized electronic recombination in donor-acceptor pairs of luminescent materials. Within this model, recombination is assumed to take place via the excited state of the donor, and nearest-neighbor recombinations take place within a random distribution of centers. Two versions of the model were presented which were found to be in good agreement with each other, namely an exact model that evolves both in space and in time, and an approximate semi-analytical model evolving only in time. The model simulated successfully both thermally stimulated luminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), and also demonstrated the power law behavior for simulated OSL signals. This paper shows that the system of simultaneous differential equations in the semi-analytical model can be approximated to an excellent precision by a single differential equation. Furthermore, analytical solutions are obtained for this single differential equation, and for four different experimental modes of stimulation: TL, OSL, linearly modulated OSL (LM-OSL) and isothermal TL processes. The exact form of the power law for the model is found in analytical form for both OSL and isothermal TL processes. The analytical equations are tested by successfully fitting typical infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals, as well as experimental TL glow curves from feldspar samples. The dimensionless number density of acceptors in the model is estimated from fitting the experimental IRSL and TL data. The analytical expressions derived in this paper apply also to stimulated emission via the excited state of the donor-acceptor system. However, the same analytical expression, with different numerical values for its constants, can also be applied in the case of ground state tunneling, with important implications for luminescence dating.

espanolLos reservorios de gas somero en los sedimentos marinos del margen iberico o sus escapes se pueden detectar por metodos directos mediante: (1) la medicion de concentraciones elevadas de metano u otros hidrocarburos en la columna de agua o en testigos de sedimentos, (2) la identificacion en el fondo marino de comunidades quimiosinteticas y/o de carbonatos autigenicos y (3) la identificacion (mediante videos submarinos) de crateres (pockmarks) o monticulos de carbonatos y volcanes de fango asociados al escape de fluidos; o por tecnicas indirectas mediante la caracterizacion de anomalias en registros acusticos tales como: (1) la presencia de plumas acusticas en los registros de ecosonda, (2) la identificacion de apantallamientos y/o turbidez acusticos en los registros sismicos de alta resolucion, (3) la interpretacion de reflectividades y (4) de morfologias de crateres o montes submarinos en los registros de sonar de barrido lateral y ecosondas multihaz. En este articulo se pres...

Publisher's copyright statement: NOTICE: this is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be re ected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A de nitive version was subsequently published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Volume 96, 1 November 2012, 10.1016/j.gca.2012.08.016.

Publisher's copyright statement: NOTICE: this is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be re ected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A de nitive version was subsequently published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Volume 96, 1 November 2012, 10.1016/j.gca.2012.08.016.

In this paper that I intend to add to my Sixth Edition of my book The Making, the Rise, and the Future of the Speakingman as its post-scriptum, I attempt to enhance the accuracy of my fundamental hypothesis on which is based this book. The paper contains new arguments and documentation, which intend to provide a more coherent support to the mentioned hypothesis.
I added to this initial two-pages summary another more detailed and updated summary that is seven pages.

The prevailing view suggests that the Eemian interglacial on the European Plain was characterized by largely negligible geomorphic activity beyond the coastal areas. However, systematic geomorphological studies are sparse. Here we present a detailed reconstruction of Eemian to Early Weichselian landscape evolution in the vicinity of a small fingerlake on the northern margin of the Salzwedel Palaeolake in Lower Saxony (Germany). We apply a combination of seismics, sediment coring, pollen analysis and luminescence dating on a complex sequence of colluvial, paludal and lacustrine sediments. Results suggest two pronounced phases of geomorphic activity, directly before the onset and at the end of the Eemian period, with an intermediate period of pronounced landscape stability. The dynamic phases were largely driven by incomplete vegetation cover, but likely accentuated by fluvial incision in the neighbouring Elbe Valley. Furthermore, we discovered Neanderthal occupation at the lakeshore during Eemian pollen zone (PZ) E IV, which is chronologically in line with other known Eemian sites of central Europe. Our highly-resolved spatio-temporal data substantially contribute to the understanding of climate-induced geomorphic processes throughout and directly after the last interglacial period. It helps unraveling the landscape dynamics between the coastal areas to the north and the loess belt to the south.

A hydrostratigraphical approach to support environmentally safe siting of a mining waste facility at Rautuvaara, Finland Based on the construction of a detailed sedimentological model, hydrostratigraphy and local groundwater/surface water flows, this paper analyses the Niesajoki river valley as a suitable area for the expansion of a tailings facility, associated with the nearby Hannukainen (Cu, Au, Fe) mine, Finnish Lapland. Three different glacial/interglacial cycles were identified from the sedimentary observations and, optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) datings showed them to be of Early to Late Weichselian in age. Two groups of hydro-stratigraphical units were identified from hydraulic conductivities. The first, fluvial deposits, lie in the centre of the valley along the valley axis, and are the main aquifers. The second, till group, with lower conductivities, are located on the flanks of the valley. The thickness and complexity of sediments varied across the study area. To the E/SE of the valley, sediments are thick (~40 m), and more complex., In contrast the S/W/NW of the area, sediments are thinner (~10 m) and more simple. Groundwater is found to flow towards the centre of the valley and along its axis, where a bedrock controlled divide forms two groundwater basins. Based on the results of this research, it is suggested that any future expansion of the tailings facility should be restricted to the western and southern side of the valley, where waters are more manageable.

Chronology of the Last Deglaciation in the Southeastern Baltic Region on the Basis of Recent OSL Dates The study of the deglaciation chronology in the south-eastern Baltic Region belonging to the outer zone of the last Pleistocene glaciation has a long history. The Finnish investigator H. Hausen (1913) who worked in the north-western portion of the East-European Plain at the beginning of the 20th century was the first to attempt a reconstruction of the course of glacial retreat during the last glaciation. At that time investigators had no physical dating methods and the time scale based on varvometric method, introduced by the Swedish geologist G. de Geer (1912) who divided the deglaciation history of Scandinavia into Daniglacial, Gotiglacial and Finiglacial, each of which had different palaeoglaciological conditions. During last decades different dating methods, including 14C, ESR, luminescence methods and 10Be techniques have been used, but they could not help essentially improve ...

The significance in analysing pedogenesis quantitatively has become apparent as a response to increasing environmental problems. Recently there has been a movement of interest towards quantifying the rate of soil formation in situ to better understand the dynamics of soil systems. Work on quantifying the processes that form a soil profile is still minimal in soil science, but with laboratory techniques available now to address this demand, this research aim is achievable. Therefore, we conducted a field study along three principal toposequences in the Werrikimbe National Park situated in northeastern NSW, Australia. To investigate soil formation processes we used terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCN) to derive production rates of soil (SPR) in mm/kyr and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to examine vertical mixing rates of soil and also to estimate relative dates of soil horizons. SPR calculated at Werrikimbe National Park are relatively low ranging between 3 and 18 mm/kyr underneath soil depths of 40 to 120 cm. Looking at each toposequence individually, the SPR has the tendency to decrease with increasing soil thickness, which supports the concept of exponential decrease of soil production with increasing soil depth. Results of our study in a warmtemperate to subtropical environment with high annual rainfall show the lowest TCN-derived SPR so far when compared to published SPR of different climate regimes. However, with a value for a potential weathering rate, P 0 , of 10±4 mm/kyr, our data fit very well within those previously derived data.

The San Timoteo badlands is an area of uplift and erosional dissection that has formed as a result of late Quaternary uplift along a restraining bend in the San Jacinto fault, of the San Andreas fault system in southern California. This bend currently is located in a region where late Quaternary deposits and associated surfaces have formed in lower San Timoteo Canyon. We have used morphometric analysis of these surfaces, in conjunction with computer modeling of deformational patterns along the San Jacinto fault, to reconstruct spatial and temporal variations in uplift along the bend. Morphometric techniques used include envelope/subenvelope mapping, a gradient-length index along channels, and denudation values. Age control is determined using a combination of thermoluminescence (TL) and near infrared optical simulation luminescence dating (IROSL) and correlation of soil-development indices. These approaches are combined with an elastic half-space model used to determine the deformation associated with the fault bend. The region of modeled uplift has a similar distribution as that determined by morphometric techniques. Luminescence dates and soil-correlation age estimates generally agree. Based on soil development, surfaces within the study area were stabilized at approximately 300-700 ka for Q3, 43-67 ka for Q2, and 27.5-67 ka for Q1. Luminescence ages (both TL and IROSL) for the formation of the younger two surfaces are 58 to 94 ka for Q2 and 37 to 62 ka for Q1 (ages reported to 1r uncertainty). Periods of uplift were determined for the surfaces in the study area, resulting in approximate uplift rates of 0.34 to 0.84 m/ka for the past 100 ka and 0.13 to 1.00 m/ka for the past 66 ka. Comparison of these rates of uplift to those generated by the model support a higher rate of lateral slip along the San Jacinto fault than commonly assumed (greater than 20 mm/yr, as compared to 8-12 mm/yr commonly cited). This higher slip rate supports the proposal that a greater amount of slip has transferred from the San Andreas fault to the San Jacinto fault than generally held. The San Jacinto fault may have accommodated a significant portion of the plate boundary slip during the past 100 ka.

This work explores the potentials and di culties in thermoluminescence (TL) dating of marble objects, which have never been exposed to sunlight since their ÿrst burial, by applying a new procedure similar in approach to sediment dating. The idea is based on the observation that exposure to sunlight reduces the TL peaks of marble to a residual level. When the marble is buried after bleaching, radiation from the sample and soil, as well as cosmic radiation, reÿll the electron traps that have been emptied by the sunlight. Using the additive dose method, an attempt has been made to date a sample of known age (2nd century BC) buried since antiquity. The peak at 290 • C was selected as the most suitable for dating (activation energy 1.7-2:0 eV, minimum spurious e ects, high intensity, linear response up to 50 Gy, bleachable down to the residual level in 1 h). This peak is well deÿned in most types of marble, common in antiquity (marble from Penteli, Paros, Naxos and Thassos). The age calculation gave 2570 ± 410 years, which is quite close to the archaeological age. Possible error sources, such as surface impurities and regenerated thermoluminescence, and ways to minimise them are discussed.

Lacustrine sediments on the eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) contain a wealth of information on local and regional tectonic activity. High-resolution grain-size and magnetic susceptibility measurements were conducted on the 23.4-m-thick Lixian lacustrine sedimentary sequence spanning from 19.3 to 6.0 ka, revealing 70 prehistoric seismic events on the eastern TP. The seismic events caused intermittent increases in source materials that endowed the samples of an individual event layer with a gradual fining trend along the C = M line on a C (one percentile)-M (median diameter) plot. Grain-size distribution and end-member modeling imply that dust particles of <20 μm in size were transported primarily by long-term suspension, while medium to coarse silt and sand were transported primarily by short-term suspension, such as aeolian transport constrained by local topography. Provenance analysis based on U-Pb zircon ages indicates that dust particles generated by earthquakes at Lixian had no effect on dust deposition at Xinmocun and Diaolin, and vice versa. These prehistoric seismic events, revealed by variations in grain size and magnetic susceptibility, thus provide invaluable information on the longterm behavior of local seismic activity.

Time-resolved infrared-stimulated luminescence (TR-IRSL) signals from feldspar samples have been the subject of several recent experimental studies. These signals are of importance in the field of luminescence dating, since they exhibit smaller fading effects than the commonly employed continuous-wave infrared signals (CW-IRSL). This paper presents a semi-empirical analysis of TR-IRSL data from feldspar samples, by using a linear combination of exponential and stretched exponential (SE) functions. The best possible estimates of the five parameters in this semi-empirical approach are obtained using five popular commercially available software packages, and by employing a variety of global optimization techniques. The results from all types of software and from the different fitting algorithms were found to be in close agreement with each other, indicating that a global optimum solution has likely been reached during the fitting process. Four complete sets of TR-IRSL data on wellcharacterized natural feldspars were fitted by using such a linear combination of exponential and SE functions. The dependence of the extracted fitting parameters on the stimulation temperature is discussed within the context of a recently proposed model of luminescence processes in feldspar. Three of the four feldspar samples studied in this paper are K-rich, and these exhibited different behavior at higher stimulation temperatures, than the fourth sample which was a Na-rich feldspar. The new method of analysis proposed in this paper can help isolate mathematically the more thermally stable components, and hence could lead to better dating applications in these materials.

The main objective of the present paper is to present an integrated approach to the study of faulting stages in coarse alluvial deposits. The study site is the alluvial fan of Nahal Shehoret, presently under an extremely arid regime. The exposure of fault scarps on the fan surfaces enables the identification of several geomorphic indicators employed in analysing and separating faulting events and periods of quiescence: (a) the nature of fault scarp topography; (b) soil catenary development on fault scarps; (c) buried paleosols in alluvial deposits; (d) colluvial bodies; (e) rotated clasts along fault planes. These indicators enable us to determine, at all sites studied, the total amount of displacement, to separate faulting events and the amount of their displacement per event, and to evaluate scarp stability and the duration of periods of tectonic quiescence.

Fossiliferous limestones are found in our buildings since the beginning of history. The fossils found within these limestones are made mostly of invertebrates or microfossil remains, and were the earlier fossils to be known and described later by science. Biogenic limestones abundance has made them a main carbonate source used in building construction as well as an important ingredient for mortars since 4600 years ago. Lime and softer building stones were often made using fossiliferous limestones, gluing the stones using mortars evolving with an increased amount of carbonates from Greek and Roman mortars up to 70% as in current Portland cement. A review based on the available historical information plus fieldtrips allow a comparison telling the history, classification, relevance, heritage and legal status of fossils and limestones using two main opposite examples, Egypt in the Old World, and Chile in the New World. An account with the first detailed description of Chilean coquinas done a century before their formal definition and the history of its use since the XVIII century are reported here.

Stratonikeia, a city in the interior of the Caria region, is located at the settlement of Eskihisar within the borders of Yatağan
District in Muğla Province. The ancient city’s foundation dates back to 5000 BC, making it one of the oldest settlements in southwest
Türkiye. It is strategically located between the Inner Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean regions. Due to its location, the city has been
important throughout its history. The Greek type of theater, which is the main topic of this paper, is one of the most remarkable structures
known to date from the Hellenistic period and is made of marble blocks. Macroscopic investigations reveal that the marble blocks of the
theater are pure white, medium-to-fine crystalline, and their dimensions range from 165 × 45 × 40 to 210 × 50 × 90 cm. In addition to
their whiteness, the most characteristic feature of these marble blocks is that they are almost entirely pure (they do not contain opaque or
accessory minerals or colored veins). Microscopically, the white marble blocks have heteroblastic polygonal (less heteroblastic mosaic)
textures and chiefly consist of calcite minerals (negligible amounts of dolomite, quartz, muscovite, and opaque minerals). These results
are supported by X-ray powder diffraction and confocal Raman spectrometer studies. Field observations, mineropetrographic data, and
geochemical data suggest that the theater marble may have been obtained from ancient marble quarries around Eskihisar. Based on the
results of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), it can be suggested that the construction of the theater building began around the
2nd century BC and lasted until the 1st century AD. After that, it was strengthened in the 3rd–4th century and later repurposed as an
open-air church, with additional reinforcement in the 5th–6th century. The OSL ages calculated from the experimental results match
the known archaeological record of the theater’s construction.

Key words: Stratonikeia ancient city, Greek type theater, calcitic marble, continental margins, optically stimulated luminescence dating

Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) of young palaeoflood sediments): The challenge of accurately estimating the deposition age of incompletely-bleached samples in luminescence dating has motivated developments in both measurement and analysis methods over the last few years. In this study, we compare the behaviour of CAM and IEU models when applied to dose distributions from a sequence of eight recent (40-1000 yr) flash flood deposits, potentially affected by incomplete bleaching. These dose distributions were obtained from quartz single grains and quartz small multigrain aliquots (~30 grains). Comparison was made between the different measuring and analysing techniques applied. The most suitable method was assessed by comparison of these results with those available from independent age control. It is shown that the measurement of multigrain aliquots in combination with the minimum age model IEU on OSL dose distributions is appropriate for the accurate dating of young flash flo...

The scientific study of Neolithic monuments holds fundamental keys to the analysis of early social complexity. This is often impeded by the challenges involved in understanding their temporality and, particularly, their initial construction dates. This problem is most severe in monuments that were not predominantly used for burial and went on to have long biographies in which activity in later periods obliterated the material record of the earliest phases. That was certainly the case of the Menga dolmen, part of the Antequera World Heritage site (Málaga, Spain), and one of the most remarkable megaliths in Europe, for which, after nearly 200 years of explorations and research, no firm chronology existed. The research presented in this paper shows how this problem was tackled through a multimethod, scientific, and geoarchaeological approach. The analysis of 29 fresh numerical ages, including radiocarbon determinations as well as optically stimulated luminescence, thermoluminescence, a...

The coast of Ceará State in NE Brazil is covered by vast fields of active and stabilized coastal sand dunes. Its tropical climate is characterized by two seasons, wet and dry, with wind intensity determined by the meridional shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The wind power is negatively correlated with precipitation, and precipitation is negatively correlated with the difference between sea surface temperatures of the tropical Atlantic north and south of the equator. We present a model suggesting that during the Late Pleistocene wind power determined the mobility and stability of the dunes. Sand dunes accumulated during periods of high wind power (as it is today) and stabilized when wind power was low. Once the dunes were stabilized by vegetation they could not be activated even by increased wind power. Samples that were taken for luminescence dating from 25 stabilized dunes along the coasts of Ceará gave ages ranging from135 ka to &lt; 100 yr. We postulate that these lum...

Interest in the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of rock surfaces has increased significantly over the last few years, as the potential of the method has been explored. It has been realized that luminescence depth profiles show qualitative evidence for multiple daylight exposure and burial events. To quantify both burial and exposure events a new mathematical model is developed by expanding existing models of evolution of luminescence-depth profiles, to include repeated sequential events of burial and exposure to daylight. This new model is applied to an infrared stimulated luminescence depth profile from a feldspar-rich granite cobble from an archaeological site near Aarhus, Denmark. This profile shows qualitative evidence for multiple daylight exposure and burial events; these are quantified using the model developed here. By determining the burial ages from the surface layer of the cobble and by fitting the new model to the luminescence profile, it is concluded that the cobble was well bleached before burial. This indicates that the OSL burial age is likely to be reliable. In addition, a recent known exposure event provides an approximate calibration for older daylight exposure events. This study confirms the suggestion that rock surfaces contain a record of exposure and burial history, and that these events can be quantified. The burial age of rock surfaces can thus be dated with confidence, based on a knowledge of their pre-burial light exposure; it may also be possible to determine the length of a fossil exposure, using a known natural light exposure as calibration.

Temporal constraints for the Late Wisconsinan deglaciation of western Canada using eolian dune luminescence chronologies from Alberta. The address for the corresponding author was captured as affiliation for all authors. Please check if appropriate. Palaeo(2016),

The entire coast of Perú was surveyed to document deposits of historical tsunami. Evidence of four tsunami was found. At Puerto Casma, in northern Perú, a graded, heavy mineral-rich layer with shell-and rock fragments was detected. OSL dating revealed an age of 0.37 AE 0.03 ka (1615e1667 AD). Inverse modelling of tsunami onshore flow parameters indicates a flow depth of w6 m and a flow speed of w8 m/s at a distance of w60 m from the shoreline. For the Chimbote earthquake of 1619 AD, a tsunami was not listed in the historical tsunami catalogues, although it is seen as a predecessor of the 1996 Chimbote earthquake and tsunami. Hence, this study may provide the first evidence of a local tsunami triggered by this event. A graded, shell-rich event layer that contains cobbles with attached marine organisms was found at Vila Vila in southern Perú. This layer was dated to 0.17 AE 0.04 ka (1797e1871 AD) and is most probably the result of the 1868 Arica tsunami. Two additional event layers found in Boca del Río (southern Perú) were dated 2.26 AE 0.37 ka (615 BCe119 AD) and 1.98 AE 0.23 ka (207 BCe255 AD). Thus, the layers record for the first time tsunami much older than the events listed in tsunami catalogues. These two events exhibit similar parameters with flow speeds of 7e8 m/s and depths of 6 m in a distance of 460 m from the present shoreline. The time that passed between the events is similar to the recurrence interval of the two Arica tsunami of 1604 and 1868 AD, hence giving evidence of another prehistoric earthquake and tsunami couplet.

In antiquity the Osireion was recognized as a well or spring attributed to legendary King Ismandes. But when rediscovered by European explorers in the early 1900s it was labelled as a temple, tomb or cenotaph and assigned to Seti I, ca 1280 BCE. Recently, Westerman (2023) has confirmed a strong aquifer of potable water, independent of local wells and of the Nile. Here, re-examination reveals several structural features that are characteristic of a sophisticated water-supply system.

In 1829, four Egyptian stelae of Twelfth and Eighteenth Dynasty date were found, surprisingly, on Malta. Based on their far-flung findspot, some have suggested that the stelae were locally made by Egyptian colonists who had settled on the island during the second millennium bc. This contribution argues that the stelae offer no basis for such historical reconstructions. Style, content and petrology demonstrate that all four stelae were made in Egypt and that they originally stood in the necropolis of Abydos in Upper Egypt. Microfossils show that these stelae are made of Egyptian limestones, which are of a different geological age to limestones available on Malta. The examination of polished thin sections of samples from the stelae using scanning electron microscopy suggests that the limestones employed were quarried from four geological formations of different ages in the Nile Valley.

Located at the crossroads between Africa and Eurasia, Arabia occupies a pivotal position for human migration and dispersal during the Late Pleistocene. Deducing the timing of humid and arid phases is critical to understanding when the Rub' al-Khali desert acted as a barrier to human movement and settlement. Recent geological mapping in the northern part of the Rub' al-Khali has enabled the Quaternary history of the region to be put into a regional stratigraphical framework. In addition to the active dunes, two significant palaeodune sequences have been identified. Dating of key sections has enabled a chronology of dune accretion and stabilisation to be determined. In addition, previously published optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates have been put in their proper stratigraphical context, from which a record of Late Pleistocene dune activity can be constructed. The results indicate the record of dune activity in the northern Rub' al-Khali is preservation limited and is synchronous with humid events driven by the incursion of the Indian Ocean monsoon.

In some Al 2 O 3 samples, the OSL is seen to decay much more slowly that we would expect due to re-trapping of the released charge in shallow traps. The preliminary studies indicate that Al 2 O 3 :Si,Ti has some component of delayed optically stimulated luminescence (DOSL). Therefore, DOSL in this system has been investigated in detail and relative contribution of DOSL to the CW-OSL signal has been determined. Therefore, OSL readout has been performed at elevated temperatures (in the range 27-100ºC) in order to eliminate the contribution of DOSL in the CW-OSL signal. The dependence of DOSL signal on readout temperature can be explained in terms of Arrhenius equation of thermally released charges from shallow traps. The total contribution of the DOSL to the CW-OSL intensity is estimated to be about 1.4%. Although the contribution of DOSL to the CW-OSL integral signal is much less, it is advisable that OSL measurements be performed at 75ºC to avoid any contribution of DOSL signal to CW-OSL signal. The DOSL decay shows the second order exponential fit. The activation energy calculated for the trap responsible for DOSL is 0.5 ±0.04 eV.

Middle Archaic earthen mound complexes in the lower Mississippi valley are remote antecedents of the famous but much younger Poverty Point earthworks. Watson Brake is the largest and most complex of these early mound sites. Very extensive coring and stratigraphic studies, aided by 25 radiocarbon dates and six luminescence dates, show that minor earthworks were begun here at ca. 3500 B.C. in association with an oval arrangement of burned rock middens at the edge of a stream terrace. The full extent of the first earthworks is not yet known. Substantial moundraising began ca. 3350 B.C. and continued in stages until some time after 3000 B.C. when the site was abandoned. All 11 mounds and their connecting ridges were occupied between building bursts. Soils formed on some of these temporary surfaces, while lithics, fire-cracked rock, and fired clay/loam objects became scattered throughout the mound fills. Faunal and floral remains from a basal midden indicate all-season occupation, suppor...

Desert dunes within the monsoon-fed Gregory Lakes basin form valuable archives for Quaternary paleoenvironments, in a region where such records are scarce. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) chronologies from two dunes identify the timing of eolian processes, interpreted as a complex response to aridification and increased sediment availability during lake transgressions and associated fluvial activity. The earliest eolian deposition in our record occurred ca 91.5 ka, which postdates the last 'mega-lake' phase but predates a smaller lake transgression during early MIS 3. Sand plain accretion took place around ca 47 ka during contemporaneous periodic high lake levels. This was followed by intermittent linear dune building, between ca 35 and 11.5 ka, which most likely took place during an interval of relative aridity. Close spacing of mid-Holocene ages within one dune indicates rapid sediment accumulation in a single arid event ca 5 ka. At no time in the last 50 ka have lake levels reached those of the last 'mega-lake' phase prior to ca 91.5 ka, suggesting a substantially weakened present-day monsoon.

U-series dating was used to determine the growth rate of a feldspar-to-clay weathering rind in a mid-Holocene Cascade-Olcott tradition andesite core, and luminescence dating (last exposure to sunlight) was used to date fine-grained feldspars scraped from the surfaces of similar buried artefacts from a 14 C-sediment-dated archaeological site (45KI464) on the wet western slope of the Cascade Mountains of Washington. For U-series dating, we measured 226 Ra excess ( 226 Ra excess = 226 Ra -230 Th) in five stratigraphic depth controlled rind scrapings. 238 U, 232 Th and 230 Th were counted by alpha spectrometry, and 226 Ra and 210 Pb were counted by gamma spectrometry on each sub-sample.

Stones are one of the most ancient natural materials exploited by humans, with different uses, from tools to buildings. Even today, stone is a very important material resource, used for construction, sculpture, and as raw material for other industries. Natural stones are not only a material resource, but they also allow us to understand the way of life, beliefs, and values of different populations. Being born from geological phenomena, stones reflect the geological events in an area, bringing to light the values and organization of different populations. Different types of stone were used for big construction projects, such as roads or buildings, which defined the architectural identity of the zone. The characteristics of the materials used thousands of years ago give a concrete idea of the dynamics of the populations, which can range from migrations, conquests, and trades to other ways of living of our ancestors

The stratigraphy and settlement history of the loess-areas in Central Europe is well known for the glacial periods and the Holocene. In contrast there are no recent investigations in the sandy loess areas of the so called "Altmoränengebiet" in northern Germany on the age of the sediments, timing of soil formation and settlement history. In this study two soil profiles in the Lüneburg Heath are investigated. The soils have been studied by means of sedimentology, pedology and palynology. Dating was done by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon. The results give the first evidence from the Altmoränengebiet for human impact on soil development as early as the late Neolithic. In the soil profiles, periods of erosion and accumulation with enrichment in organic rich material are indicated. (Genese und Datierung spätpleistozän-holozäner Paläobodensequenzen in der Lüneburger Heide, Norddeutschland) Kurzfassung: Während in den Lössgebieten Mitteleuropas die Lössstratigraphie und die menschliche Besiedlung der Lössgebiete sowohl eiszeitlich wie auch im Holozän gut bekannt sind, liegen zu den Sandlössgebieten der Altmoränengebiete keine neueren Erkenntnisse zur zeitlichen Stellung der Sedimente oder zur Siedlungsgeschichte und zum Einfluss auf die Bodenentwicklung vor. In der Arbeit werden aus einem Sandlössgebiet in der Lüneburger Heide zwei Bodenprofile vorgestellt deren Gliederung einen Einblick in die Genese der vergangenen 10 000 Jahre erlaubt. Die Profile wurden sedimentologisch, pedologisch und palynologisch untersucht und charakterisiert. Die Datierung der Profile erfolgte mittels optisch stimulierter Lumineszenz (OSL) und Radiokarbondatierung. Die Ergebnisse legen einen menschlichen Einfluss auf die Böden ab dem späten Neolithikum nahe. Darunter sind Erosions-und Akkumulationsprozesse und insbesondere eine Anreicherung mit organischem Material zu fassen. Erstmals können mit dieser Studie Datierungen von Sedimenten und Böden des Altmoränengebietes präsentiert werden.

In this study dunes from south east India were dated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to reconstruct the depositional history. A belt of dunes has developed parallel to the coast between Pondicherry and Karikal in Tamil Nadu, south east India. In the area between Cuddalore and Porto Novo the dune belt is 5 km wide. A transect from the coast to the most western dune inland was investigated. Changes in the environmental conditions are recorded in the dunes. They show features including unconformities, changes in the direction of bedding, erosional features, water escape structures and remnants of human settlements. The OSL results show that strong changes in the environmental conditions occurred about 100 and 300 years ago. The latter event marks also the termination of settlement in this place. The settlement period started about 1500 years previously. The periods of sand mobility and stabilisation of the land surface by soil formation correlate with changes in the precipitation record of India. The investigated dunes very likely reflect fluctuations in the monsoon activity during the last 3500 years in south east India.

This study explores the prehistoric landscape of Mato Miranda and Golegã, Portugal, focusing on the Pleistocene and Holocene periods. Systematic archaeological surveys and stratigraphic analyses, conducted as part of preventive archaeology efforts linked to infrastructure development, have facilitated the identification of hidden prehistoric evidence, uncovering significant lithic assemblages culturally extending from the Upper Pleistocene to the Holocene. These findings shed light on the dynamic changes in human adaptation and environmental interactions across critical climatic and cultural transitions.

The research adopts a multidisciplinary methodological approach to reconstruct spatial distributions and settlement patterns within these landscapes. By analysing overlapping cultural horizons in Quaternary terraces, it explores how environmental and cultural factors shaped human activity in these marginal zones. Historically perceived as peripheral or underutilised, these areas emerge as dynamic spaces rich in resources and integral to prehistoric mobility and subsistence strategies. Evidence from these marginal landscapes demonstrates their function as resource-rich areas that played a pivotal role in prehistoric strategies for survival and adaptation.

The archaeological record provides initial insights that may inform broader discussions on human interactions with marginal landscapes and their role in shaping prehistoric settlement dynamics.

Küster nicht mehr erfolgen, da sich die Daten nicht mehr vernünftig aufbereiten lassen. 6 Der Umfang der Untersuchungen wurde in einer gemeinsamen Vereinbarung festgelegt; das Staatliche Bauamt Ansbach, als Bauträger der Maßnahme übernahm die Kosten. Die Kosten für die Molluskenuntersuchung übernahm das BLfD. 7 Unter Leitung von Prof. Dr. C. Zielhofer (Universität Leipzig, Institut für Geographie/Professur Physische Geographie) wurden dagegen 2008 und 2010 Bohrungen im Grabenbereich mit dem Ziel durchgeführt, das 793 n. Chr. in den jeweiligen Abschnitten erreichte Arbeitsniveau zu lokalisieren und damit eine neue Grundlage für die Rekonstruktion des geplanten Bauvorhabens zu erhalten.

A new IRSL dataset is presented for the age and setting of a critical Late Glacial Maximum tephra isochron marker. The rhyolitic tephra, known as the Kawakawa Tephra, occurs as a 14 cm thick layer within a 5.9 m thick loess section overlying alluvial gravels in the Rangitikei River valley, SW North Island of New Zealand. Ages range from 21 at the base to 5 ka near the top of the loess and bracket an age of 17.0 AE 2.2 for the tephra. The new IRSL ages are in agreement with published and unpublished luminescence ages from other localities of loess, sand and ash above and below the tephra and of the tephra itself, that indicate an age of ca. 19 ka for the Kawakawa Tephra. This age is considerably younger than the generally accepted 14 C 27.1 ka cal yrs BP age of the Kawakawa Tephra and highlights an unresolved discrepancy between the two dating systems.

Sedimentologic characterization and provenance studies of quaternary colluvial deposits (9±1 to 980±100 ky B.P. -dated by luminescence) were based on textural and mineralogical analyses. These deposits occur extensively between Marília and Presidente Prudente (São Paulo State, Brazil), superimposed on the Bauru Group sedimentary rocks or the Serra Geral Formation basaltic rocks, both of Cretaceous age. They are distributed irregularly throughout the study area and are studied by sedimentologic and morphologic methods. These deposits are composed of very fine to coarse-grained unconsolidated sands, mostly constituted by quartzose monocrystalline grains reddened by iron oxide and hydroxide impregnation. Analyses of grain sizes indicated that total granulometric distributions are richer in the clay fraction than in the sedimentary rocks located. Nonmicaceous transparent heavy minerals studied microscopically in fine-grained as well as in very finegrained sands showed that zircon, tourmaline, staurolite and rutile are present in all the samples. Differences in grain sizes among the colluvial deposits and the Bauru Group sedimentary rocks are attributable to pedogenetic processes.

As datações absolutas por luminescência de cristais são utilizadas com sucesso em depósitos quaternários por vários pesquisadores de diferentes países. Porém, no Brasil esses métodos são ainda pouco utilizados e mesmo desacreditados por alguns grupos de pesquisa. Os métodos de datação por luminescência são baseados na teoria da interação das radiações ionizantes com a matéria, no caso com os cristais, e se a idade da amostra a ser datada é calculada à partir da medida das concentrações de defeitos induzidos no material por radiações ionizantes. São aqui apresentados, pela primeira vez, dados de radiação cósmica incidente por espectroscopia-γ, medidos no Brasil, que são informações importantes usadas na determinação de idades obtidas por esses métodos. Neste trabalho apresenta-se de forma objetiva a metodologia e interpretação de idades obtidas por luminescência com o objetivo de difundir a utilidade dessas análises.

The prevailing view suggests that the Eemian interglacial on the European Plain was characterized by largely negligible geomorphic activity beyond the coastal areas. However, systematic geomorphological studies are sparse. Here we present a detailed reconstruction of Eemian to Early Weichselian landscape evolution in the vicinity of a small fingerlake on the northern margin of the Salzwedel Palaeolake in Lower Saxony (Germany). We apply a combination of seismics, sediment coring, pollen analysis and luminescence dating on a complex sequence of colluvial, paludal and lacustrine sediments. Results suggest two pronounced phases of geomorphic activity, directly before the onset and at the end of the Eemian period, with an intermediate period of pronounced landscape stability. The dynamic phases were largely driven by incomplete vegetation cover, but likely accentuated by fluvial incision in the neighbouring Elbe Valley. Furthermore, we discovered Neanderthal occupation at the lakeshore during Eemian pollen zone (PZ) E IV, which is chronologically in line with other known Eemian sites of central Europe. Our highly-resolved spatio-temporal data substantially contribute to the understanding of climate-induced geomorphic processes throughout and directly after the last interglacial period. It helps unraveling the landscape dynamics between the coastal areas to the north and the loess belt to the south.

The stratigraphy and settlement history of the loess-areas in Central Europe is well known for the glacial periods and the Holocene. In contrast there are no recent investigations in the sandy loess areas of the so called "Altmoränengebiet" in northern Germany on the age of the sediments, timing of soil formation and settlement history. In this study two soil profiles in the Lüneburg Heath are investigated. The soils have been studied by means of sedimentology, pedology and palynology. Dating was done by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon. The results give the first evidence from the Altmoränengebiet for human impact on soil development as early as the late Neolithic. In the soil profiles, periods of erosion and accumulation with enrichment in organic rich material are indicated. (Genese und Datierung spätpleistozän-holozäner Paläobodensequenzen in der Lüneburger Heide, Norddeutschland) Kurzfassung: Während in den Lössgebieten Mitteleuropas die Lössstratigraphie und die menschliche Besiedlung der Lössgebiete sowohl eiszeitlich wie auch im Holozän gut bekannt sind, liegen zu den Sandlössgebieten der Altmoränengebiete keine neueren Erkenntnisse zur zeitlichen Stellung der Sedimente oder zur Siedlungsgeschichte und zum Einfluss auf die Bodenentwicklung vor. In der Arbeit werden aus einem Sandlössgebiet in der Lüneburger Heide zwei Bodenprofile vorgestellt deren Gliederung einen Einblick in die Genese der vergangenen 10 000 Jahre erlaubt. Die Profile wurden sedimentologisch, pedologisch und palynologisch untersucht und charakterisiert. Die Datierung der Profile erfolgte mittels optisch stimulierter Lumineszenz (OSL) und Radiokarbondatierung. Die Ergebnisse legen einen menschlichen Einfluss auf die Böden ab dem späten Neolithikum nahe. Darunter sind Erosions-und Akkumulationsprozesse und insbesondere eine Anreicherung mit organischem Material zu fassen. Erstmals können mit dieser Studie Datierungen von Sedimenten und Böden des Altmoränengebietes präsentiert werden.

In this study dunes from south east India were dated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to reconstruct the depositional history. A belt of dunes has developed parallel to the coast between Pondicherry and Karikal in Tamil Nadu, south east India. In the area between Cuddalore and Porto Novo the dune belt is 5 km wide. A transect from the coast to the most western dune inland was investigated. Changes in the environmental conditions are recorded in the dunes. They show features including unconformities, changes in the direction of bedding, erosional features, water escape structures and remnants of human settlements. The OSL results show that strong changes in the environmental conditions occurred about 100 and 300 years ago. The latter event marks also the termination of settlement in this place. The settlement period started about 1500 years previously. The periods of sand mobility and stabilisation of the land surface by soil formation correlate with changes in the precipitation record of India. The investigated dunes very likely reflect fluctuations in the monsoon activity during the last 3500 years in south east India.

Identifying systematic errors that are introduced by the measurement equipment is a necessary prerequisite for reproducible measurements and reliable results. However, technical artefacts often remain unpublished. Here we report on a sudden change of luminescence intensity observed while measuring IR-RF signals from K-feldspar extracts. The measurements were carried out on a lexsyg research reader. A lateral movement of the sample carrier up to 0.5 mm relative to the photomultiplier tube and the irradiation source, causes a change in the sample geometry. This movement results in inter-aliquot scatter during the measurement of IR-RF. Two solutions are discussed to remove this effect: (I) data post-processing and (II) design change by the manufacturer. Our study so far is limited to IR-RF measurements on a single luminescence reader and suggests due caution in the identification of such systematic errors.

In optical dating, multiple-aliquot dating methods have been considered inferior to single-aliquot methods, due to difficulties inherent to in between-aliquot normalisation. In this study, we propose an improved multiple-aliquot regenerative-dose (MAR) procedure for the multiple-elevated-temperature post-IR IRSL (MET-pIRIR) signals from K-feldspar grains. This method is based on observations that a common, or standardised, growth curve (SGC) exists between different aliquots from the same and different samples, and that between-aliquot variation can be largely eliminated by application of regenerative-dose (’re-normalisation’) or least squares (LS) normalisation procedures. We find that this improved MAR procedure significantly increases the accuracy and precision of De determinations. We tested this method using several sediment samples from Marathousa, a Middle Pleistocene archaeological site in Greece, and demonstrate that, for the K-feldspar grains from these samples, the propos...

The Pakuashan anticline is an active fault tip fold that constitutes the frontal most zone of deformation along the western piedmont of the Taiwan Range. Assessing seismic hazards associated with this fold and its contribution to crustal shortening across central Taiwan requires some understanding of the fold structure and growth rate. To address this, we surveyed the geometry of several deformed strata and geomorphic surfaces, which recorded different cumulative amounts of shortening. These units were dated to ages ranging from ∼19 ka to ∼340 ka using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). We collected shallow seismic profiles and used previously published seismic profiles to constrain the deep structure of the fold. These data show that the anticline has formed as a result of pure shear with subsequent limb rotation. The cumulative shortening along the direction of tectonic transport is estimated to be 1010 ± 160 m. An analytical fold model derived from a sandbox experiment is u...

The Burkhan Khaldun Mountains (Mongolia) and its surrounding sacred landscape are associated with Genghis Khan's birth and burial place as described in "The Secret History of the Mongols". It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 4 July 2015 under the title «Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape." This study offered a great opportunity to apply the recently developed post-IR infrared luminescence (pIRIR) approach to feldspar using coarse and polymineral fine grain techniques and determine the manufacturing date of a brick sample associated with the ruins of the Buddhist temple at the Burkhan Khaldun Mountains. Furthermore, the mineralogical composition of different blue-grey colored bricks from various temple buildings such as the Buddhist temples in Karakorum, Dugan in Erdene Zuu and Avargyn Balgas were studied. The original place and date of manufacturing of the bricks was revealed using the pIRIR 180 and pIRIR 240 from coarse and fine grains from a heated feldspar sample and were 1280±40 AD and 1230±50 AD, correspondingly, which falls into the time period of extensive constructions in Karakorum.

The Burkhan Khaldun Mountains (Mongolia) and its surrounding sacred landscape are associated with Genghis Khan's birth and burial place as described in "The Secret History of the Mongols". It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 4 July 2015 under the title «Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape." This study offered a great opportunity to apply the recently developed post-IR infrared luminescence (pIRIR) approach to feldspar using coarse and polymineral fine grain techniques and determine the manufacturing date of a brick sample associated with the ruins of the Buddhist temple at the Burkhan Khaldun Mountains. Furthermore, the mineralogical composition of different blue-grey colored bricks from various temple buildings such as the Buddhist temples in Karakorum, Dugan in Erdene Zuu and Avargyn Balgas were studied. The original place and date of manufacturing of the bricks was revealed using the pIRIR 180 and pIRIR 240 from coarse and fine grains from a heated feldspar sample and were 1280±40 AD and 1230±50 AD, correspondingly, which falls into the time period of extensive constructions in Karakorum.