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10 Chronometric Methods in Paleoanthropology

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Handbook of Paleoanthropology

Abstract

The aim of archeochronometry is the numeric dating, that is in term of years, of archeological and paleoanthropologic events or processes. The methods that are currently applied with most success are all based on the physical phenomenon of radioactivity. Their development underwent in the last few decades—and still undergoes—rapid progress. It is, in particular, the improvement in time resolution but also the application to novel sample materials as well as the extension of the age range of numeric dating that left a strong impact on modern paleoanthropology. This contribution introduces into the principles of radiometric dating. The most frequently applied dating methods, such as the potassium–argon, the uranium series, the fission track, the luminescence, the electron spin resonance, and radiocarbon techniques, are described. Their potential for paleoanthropology is illustrated using various examples covering the period since human entered the scene few million years ago.

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  1. Günther A. Wagner
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Wagner, G.A. (2007). 10 Chronometric Methods in Paleoanthropology. In: Handbook of Paleoanthropology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-33761-4_10

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