Dating Methods Dating Methods are used in anthropology to obtain temporal inform

Question

Dating Methods

Dating Methods are used in anthropology to obtain temporal information on biological and cultural artifacts. The dates obtained by various techniques yield data that allow us to construct time frames that can help us understand how organisms evolved or how cultures changed over time.

For this assignment you will explore one of the dating methods below. Make sure you have the following information in your assignment.

Radiocarbon

Dendrochronology

Paleomagnetism

Potassium-argon dating

Thermoluminescence

Racemization dating

Obsidian hydration

Archeomagnetic dating

You will be graded on the following:

How does your chosen dating method work? Tell me in your own words and beconcise and to the point!

What is the practical date range of your dating method? Give me the years (How early and how far back in time can your chosen dating method be used)

What kinds of materials are you able to date with your dating method?

Give one example of a famous specimen or artifact that your chosen dating method has been used on. Note: It has to be related to physical anthropology.

Respond to two other student posts.  

In your responses make sure you explain how your chosen dating method would help improve the date estimation of the famous specimen chosen by your classmate.

Make sure you respond to posts of students that have chosen different dating method than yours.

Explanation / Answer

Radiocarbon dating compares the three different isotopes of carbon. Isotopes of a particular element are referred to have the same number of protons in their nucleus, but different numbers of neutrons which mean that they are very similar chemically but they have different masses. It uses naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to determine the age of the carbon-bearing material. The atmospheric carbon dioxide is fixed by plants into an organic material as a process of photosynthesis. This process incorporates the quantity of carbon-14 close to the level of isotope present in the atmosphere. When the living things die, the replacement of tissue is no longer and the radioactive decay of carbon-14 becomes apparent. Radioactive decay can be used as it is unaffected by physical and chemical conditions. In 5,730 years half of the 14C in a sample will decay. The carbon-14 fraction declines at an exponential fixed rate due to the radioactive decay. The determination of the age of the sample is made by comparing the remaining amount of carbon-14 and the amount expected in the fresh sample. The practical date range is from 5730 years to 58000-62000 years. The materials which are able to date with radiocarbon are:

The dating of the Turin Shroud to the medieval period, the dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls around the time of Christ, and also used to date the extinction of the woolly mammoth. The carbon-14 in the atmosphere find its way into the living matter, which could be tagged with the radioactive isotope.Theoretically, if detecting the amount of carbon-14 in a specimen, then the specimen's age could be established using the half-life, or rate of decay of the isotope.

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