Uranium series dating in paleoanthropology Journal Articles

abstract

• AbstractMany hominid and archaeological sites contain materials that were formed or deposited synchronously with the site and can be dated by uranium‐series methods, principally 230Th/234U dating. The range of the method is approximately 350,000 years. U‐series dating yields most accurate results when applied to chemically precipitated calcium carbonate, which occurs in stalagmitic layers, travertines, and lacustrine limestones. Materials such as bone and shell are less reliable. Using mass spectrometry (MS), a precision of ±1% is attainable, whereas conventional alpha counting optimally gives a precision of ±5%. Mass spectrometric dating requires smaller samples, potentially allowing determination of ante quem dates for calcite coatings on hominid fossils and associated faunal skeletons.

authors

• Schwarcz, Henry

status

• published 

publication date

• January 1992

has subject area

• 0603 Evolutionary Biology (FoR)
• 1601 Anthropology (FoR)
• 1607 Social Work (FoR)
• 2101 Archaeology (FoR)
• Anthropology (Science Metrix)

published in

• New Directions for Evaluation  Journal

keywords

• 43 History, Heritage and Archaeology
• 4301 Archaeology
• 44 Human Society
• 4401 Anthropology

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1002/evan.1360010207

start page

• 56

end page

• 62

volume

• 1

issue

• 2