Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of the origin of modern man Journal Articles

abstract

• Many materials found in archaeological sites are able to trap electronic charges as a result of bombardment by radioactive radiation from the surrounding sediment. The presence of these trapped charges can be detected by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy: the intensity of the ESR signal is a measure of the accumulated dose and thus of the age. Tooth enamel is ubiquitous at archaeological sites and is well suited for ESR dating, with a precision of about 10-20%. This method has now been used to date many sites critical to the biological and cultural evolution of modern man. Dates for sites in Israel and Africa have demonstrated the existence of anatomically modern humans more than 100 ka ago.

authors

• Schwarcz, Henry
• Grün, R

status

• published 

publication date

• August 29, 1992

has subject area

• 06 Biological Sciences (FoR)
• 11 Medical and Health Sciences (FoR)
• Animals (MeSH)
• Biological Evolution (MeSH)
• Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy (MeSH)
• Evolutionary Biology (Science Metrix)
• Hominidae (MeSH)
• Humans (MeSH)
• Luminescent Measurements (MeSH)
• Time (MeSH)

published in

• Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences  Journal

keywords

• Animals
• Biological Evolution
• Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy
• Hominidae
• Humans
• Luminescent Measurements
• Time

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1098/rstb.1992.0091

PubMed ID

• 1357688

start page

• 145

end page

• 148

volume

• 337

issue

• 1280