Luminescence dating of sediments from a Palaeolithic site associated with a solution feature on the North Downs of Kent, UK.

摘要: Abstract Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has been applied to determine the burial age of sediment horizons within a sequence containing Lower Palaeolithic artefacts on an upland site associated with solution feature (doline) at West Cliffe, located North Downs in Kent, UK. The study makes use novel extension single aliquot OSL measurement procedure investigate nature significant overdispersion equivalent dose values very small aliquots quartz inclusions, enabling grain resolution be approached ∼90 μm diameter extracted from relatively fine-grained brickearth. A detailed examination uniformity distribution radionuclide sources sampled volumes was also performed and this included application spatially-resolved technique for beta rate measurement. ages, obtained brickearth positioned stratigraphically below above clay flint clast layer debitage, place deposition between ca 140 80 ka ago. This is significantly later than indicated by artefact typology (>300 ka) contrary expectation situ earlier research region. If displacement occurred other sites finding important implications establishing timing hominin areas which, beyond broad attribution or Middle origin, uncertain similar doubts apply interpretation environments that prevailed.