It was Farrington Daniels and coworkers at the University of Wisconsin in 1953, while measuring exposure of minerals to nuclear radiation, who first proposed to use thermoluminescence also for geological and archaeological age determination (Daniels et al., 1953).
Who discovered luminescence dating?
The possibility of making use of TL stored in a mineral or pottery sample was first proposed by chemist Farrington Daniels in the 1950s. During the 1960s and 70s, the Oxford University Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art led in the development of TL as a method of dating archaeological materials.
How do you know how old a crystal is?
Identify the manufacturer of antique stemware by checking for a marker, which is typically on the bottom of the stem. Most antique crystal has an etching, symbol or sticker made by the company that manufactured it. Hold the stem up to a light to look for a manufacturers logo or emblem.
Can zircon crystals be used to date the age of the beach?
An electrical technique separates ideal, clear, electrically non-conducting zircon grains from unsuitable, dark and coloured, electrically conducting zircon grains which disrupt the dating process. Using zircon it might in future be possible to date sand grains with ages up to 100,000 years.