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School of Archaeology and Anthropology · ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
This course provides an overview of the principle dating techniques used within archaeology and, more generally, the Quaternary. Starting with fundamental principles such as stratigraphy and relatively simple methods such as dendrochronology (tree-ring dating), the course will progress to examine some of the main scientifically based methods, such as radiocarbon, U-series, potassium/argon, luminescence and electron spin resonance dating. Students will learn to design dating strategies, evaluate published datasets and build chronological models to interrogate archaeological and palaeoenvironmental hypotheses. Where possible, the course will include visits to the respective laboratories.
Biweekly quizzes
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Chronological modeling report (1,000 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 5
Group work: Unbelievable Truths of Archaeological Dating
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3
Creative assignment
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 4
130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials; and b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Not applicable Preliminary Reading Bayliss, A., 2009. Rolling Out Revolution: Using Radiocarbon Dating in Archaeology. Radiocarbon 51 (1), 123-147. Bayliss, A., 2015. Quality in Bayesian chronological models in archaeology. World Archaeology 47 (4), 677-700. Bronk Ramsey, C., 2008. Radiocarbon dating: Revolutions in understanding. Archaeometry 50 (2), 249-275. Grün, R., 2006. Direct dating of human fossils. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 131 (SUPPL. 43), 2-48. Grün, R., Eggins, S., Kinsley, L., Moseley, H. and Sambridge, M., 2014. Laser ablation U-series analysis of fossil bones and teeth. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 416, 150-167. Hellstrom, J. and Pickering, R., 2015. Recent advances and future prospects of the U-Th and U-Pb chronometers applicable to archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Science 56, 32-40. Lane, C.S., Cullen, V.L., White, D., Bramham-Law, C.W.F. and Smith, V.C., 2014. Cryptotephra as a dating and correlation tool in archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Science 42 (1), 42-50. Penkman, K., 2010. Amino acid geochronology: Its impact on our understanding of the Quaternary stratigraphy of the British Isles. Journal of Quaternary Science 25 (4), 501-514. Rhodes, E., 2011. Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating of Sediments over the Past 200,000 years. Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 2011. 39:461—88. Roberts, R.G., Jacobs, Z., Li, B., Jankowski, N.R., Cunningham, A.C. and Rosenfeld, A.B., 2015. Optical dating in archaeology: Thirty years in retrospect and grand challenges for the future. Journal of Archaeological Science 56, 41-60. Wood, R., 2015. From revolution to convention: The past, present and future of radiocarbon dating. Journal of Archaeological Science 56, 61-72.