M. Járó - L. Költő szerk.: Archaeometrical research in Hungary (Budapest, 1988)

Dating - BENKŐ Lázár: Thermoluminescence dating of Hungarian archaeological sites (potteries, hearths, calcite)

Assessment of TL age: an example To illustrate the various steps in determining the age by TL dating, data obtained for a prehistoric storage jar (pottery from the excavations of Tiszapolgár—Basatanya, No. 5335.116. [4]) are presented here. Fragments were processed in the usual way: wet-crushing, attack by HF, ultrasonic bath, magnetic separation. Subsequent to an etching in HF for an hour, quartz grains of 0.09-0.125 mm were extracted by sieving. Equivalent dose (Q). TL measurements were carried out with equal portions of 2 mg of quartz. To eliminate the TL stored at lower temperatures in the peak, being suspect of fading over antiquity, a short pre-heating of about 320 °C was applied. As a result of this pre-heat, a fairly good symmetry of the NTL and NTL + ATL peaks can be achieved. The appropriate temperature interval of integration can be obtained by performing the plateau-test, in which the shape of the natural glow curve is compared with the artificial glow curve. Glow curves and plateau-tests, without and after a pre-heating, are illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In both cases, TLA corresponds to an exposure of 6 min to the 90 Sr beta source (artificial dose of 6X2.49 = 14.94 Gy). / + S3 V EH -0.6 - 0.5 0.4 0.3 200 300 400 °C Fig. 3 TL glows and plateau-test (sample No. Asymmetry is indicative of possible fading 53.35.116 from Tiszapolgár-Basatanya).