Age determination of burned flint by a thermoluminescent method.

Interference by tribothermoluminescence and by regeneration thermoluminescence can be eliminated for burned flint if thin polished slices are used instead of the powders conventionally used in thermoluminescent measurements. Measurement of the internal and external radiation dose rates then makes possible the absolute determination of the date of pyrolization of small fragments of chert or chalcedony to an accuracy of about 10 to 15 percent. The method may be usable to ages in the range from 200,000 to 300,000 years before the present (B.P.). For samples from the archeological site at Carigüela in southern Spain dates from 12,000 to 50,000 years B.P. have been determined, covering deposits ranging from Late Paleolithic-Epipaleolithic to Mousterian. One Bronze Age specimen gave an age of 4,300 years B.P., in excellent agreement with the age determined by other methods.