thermoluminescence
noun
ther·mo·lu·mi·nes·cence
ˌthər-mō-ˌlü-mə-ˈne-sᵊn(t)s 
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
Examples of thermoluminescence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The technique doing the most damage to conventional wisdom is called thermoluminescence, TL for short.
—
James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Chantal Tribolo of the University of Bordeaux Montaigne performed what is called thermoluminescence analysis to determine whether the silcrete tools from Pinnacle Point were intentionally heated.
—Curtis W. Marean, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2016
Researchers who work with prehistoric tools made from flint — a hardened form of quartz — often use thermoluminescence (TL) to tell them not the age of the rock, but of the tool.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2016
To try to prove that Early Stone Age campfires caused the discoloration, researchers in the 1980s and ’90s used techniques such as magnetic susceptibility analysis and thermoluminescence dating.
—Kenneth Miller, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2013
While the bones may get all the headlines, these bits of flint, apparently flaked off into the fire as tools were sharpened, are just as important: The material was perfect for dating using the thermoluminescence method.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2017
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, 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, 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, 7 June 2017
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James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Chantal Tribolo of the University of Bordeaux Montaigne performed what is called thermoluminescence analysis to determine whether the silcrete tools from Pinnacle Point were intentionally heated.
—Curtis W. Marean, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2016
Researchers who work with prehistoric tools made from flint — a hardened form of quartz — often use thermoluminescence (TL) to tell them not the age of the rock, but of the tool.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2016
To try to prove that Early Stone Age campfires caused the discoloration, researchers in the 1980s and ’90s used techniques such as magnetic susceptibility analysis and thermoluminescence dating.
—Kenneth Miller, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2013
While the bones may get all the headlines, these bits of flint, apparently flaked off into the fire as tools were sharpened, are just as important: The material was perfect for dating using the thermoluminescence method.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2017
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, 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, 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, 7 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Thermoluminescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermoluminescence. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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