thermoluminescence

noun

ther·mo·lu·mi·nes·cence | \ ˌthər-mō-ˌlü-mə-ˈne-sᵊn(t)s

Definition of thermoluminescence

1 : phosphorescence developed in a previously excited substance upon gentle heating

2 : the determination of the age of old material (such as pottery) by the amount of thermoluminescence it produces

— called also thermoluminescence dating

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Examples of thermoluminescence in a Sentence

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The teeth were dated to around 250,000 years ago based on thermoluminescence testing on nearby burned flint, and the set of samples recorded about three years of life. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Neanderthal teeth reveal lead exposure and difficult winters," 31 Oct. 2018 Hublin and his colleagues used a method called thermoluminescence to calculate how much time had passed since the blades were burned. — The New York Times, Orange County Register, "Oldest fossils of Homo sapiens found in Morocco, altering history of our species," 7 June 2017 Potts also noted that in east Africa, dating the argon in volcanic ash is preferred over thermoluminescence (but there is no ash in Morocco to measure). — Ben Guarino, The Denver Post, "Oldest Homo sapiens fossils discovered in Morocco," 7 June 2017 Dr. Hublin and his colleagues used a method called thermoluminescence to calculate how much time had passed since the blades were burned. — Carl Zimmer, New York Times, "Oldest Fossils of Homo Sapiens Found in Morocco, Altering History of Our Species," 7 June 2017 This technique, known as thermoluminescence, told them that the tools were roughly 280,000 and 350,000 years old. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, "Scientists Have Found the Oldest Known Human Fossils," 7 June 2017

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