Thermoluminescent and X-ray diffraction methods in dating of ceramics from archaeological excavations of the Orikti monument (Almaty region)

Abstract

In this work, the ages of archaeological ceramics were determined by the thermoluminescent method after X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) of ceramic samples, which confirms that quartz is the main component phase of the products. This allowed to use the sample preparation technique without isolating the quartz phase from the ceramic sample. Silicon oxide based soil-equivalent thermoluminescent detectors were used to determine the annual absorbed dose rate at the sampling site. The average dose rate at sampling site was 0.62 ± 0.02 cGy/year. Calculation of the ceramics ages was carried out after checking the linearity of lightsums accumulation for samples in the dose range up to 2000 cGy. Based on the performed studies, the ages of the ceramic products were determined that do not contradict to archaeologists dating of these products. It is proposed to use the procedure for determining ceramic samples by the thermoluminescent method after their phase composition identification by XRD. In the case of the predominant mineral composition of quartz phase (the proportion of quartz is more than 60% of the total composition of ceramics), the measurements can be carried out without the quartz isolating; while presence of clay mineral fractions commensurate with quartz levels can lead to the separation of the quartz.