Archaeomagnetic dating in anthropology is a chronometric (absolute) dating method that uses the record of Earth’s magnetic field preserved in archaeological materials to determine when they were last heated or deposited. It is especially useful for dating sites within the last 10,000 years.

🌍 Definition

• Archaeomagnetic Dating: A technique that measures the orientation of magnetic minerals (like magnetite) in artifacts or features.
• Process: When materials such as clay, pottery, or hearths are heated above the Curie point (~580°C for magnetite), their magnetic particles align with Earth’s magnetic field. As they cool, this orientation is “locked in.”
• Principle: Because Earth’s magnetic field changes over time (both direction and intensity), comparing the preserved orientation with known geomagnetic records allows archaeologists to estimate the age of the material.

🔑 Anthropological Contexts

• Archaeology:
  • Commonly applied to hearths, kilns, pottery, and burned structures.
  • Provides absolute dates when organic material for radiocarbon dating is absent.
• Chronology Building:
  • Helps refine site occupation sequences, especially in the Holocene (last 10,000 years).
• Interdisciplinary Use:
  • Links anthropology with geophysics and geology through paleomagnetic studies.
• Case Studies:
  • Used in Neolithic sites in the Levant (e.g., Jordan) to date pottery and burned features.
  • Applied in Europe and North America to establish regional geomagnetic curves.

📚 Importance in Anthropology

• Absolute Dating: Provides specific chronological ranges, unlike relative dating methods.
• Complementary Method: Often used alongside radiocarbon dating, dendrochronology, or stratigraphy.
• Cultural Insight: By dating hearths and kilns, archaeomagnetic dating reveals when communities cooked, crafted, or performed rituals.
• Scientific Contribution: Helps calibrate the geomagnetic polarity time scale, contributing to broader Earth science.

In short: Archaeomagnetic dating is an absolute dating method in anthropology that uses the magnetic signatures preserved in heated materials to establish site chronologies, especially within the last 10,000 years.

Sources: Wikipedia – Archaeomagnetic Dating; UC Santa Barbara – Paleomagnetic and Archaeomagnetic Dating; Qualcomm Institute – New Ways of Dating Artifacts.