Archaeomagnetic Dating:Principles,Practices And Prospective Applications

Basically,radiocarbon dating has offered optimal accuracy for current archaeological studies.However,wide dating ages in certain periods and uncertainties in the archaeological context are still unavoidable in specific study areas.One alternative to these problems is archaeomagnetic dating.Archaeomagnetic dating is a scientific dating technique which can offer calendar dates of archaeological samples by comparing their remnant magnetization to regional secular variation curve.It is relatively unfamiliar to archaeologist in China,although has been developing in western countries for more than half of a century.By introducing its principles and practices in other countries,following questions will be answered:what are the relative strengths and shortcomings of archaeomagnetic dating;what chronological issues can be tackled by archaeomagnetic dating but not by radiocarbon dating;what lessons can be learnt by reviewing the history of research in other regions.According to these research aims,the paper is organized in six parts:Part ?,Introduction.By stating the limits of radiocarbon dating,this part will first reveal the necessity of comprehending the principle and history of archaeomagnetic dating.Then the scholarly history will be reviewed and the methodology as well as the structure of this research will be present.Part ?,the principle and methodology of archaeomagnetic dating.This part will first introduce the toolkit of scientific dating techniques for Quaterary studies and refine terminologies in this study.Then I will introduce the principles and methodologies of archaeomagnetic dating.Part ?,archaeomagnetic dating in Western Europe.This part will first review the history of research and then introduce its contribution to chronological researches as an alternative to Hallstattien pleateau effects.Part ?,archaeomagnetica dating in the U.S.Southwest.This part will first review the academic history then its application of Hohokam chronology and finally the shift between archaeomagnetism and radiocarbon dating.Part ?,archaeomagnetica dating in the Near East.This part will first review the scholar history then introduce its contribution to archaeometalluegical chronology by directly dating copper slags.Part ?,Comments and prospective application in China.The specialty of archaeomagnetic dating is improving dating accuracy in certain context during certain time span.Considering where it strength stands,I suggest a broad prospect of this dating method in Xia-Shang(Early Bronze Age)archaeology in China.The conclusion reviews important remarks of archaeomagnetic dating and summarizing the limits of this study.