A New Approach to Archaeological Dating Using Geomagnetic Field Modelling

地磁场的细节记录在烧制的考古材料中，如窑、炉、陶器、砖块和瓷砖。由于地磁场随时间变化，这些信息可以通过实验恢复并用作测年工具。目前在英国，只有原位材料可以用这种方法测年，因为只有磁场的方向变化是已知的（不像在许多其他国家，完整的矢量是已知的）。目前的做法是使用从简化到参考位置的数据构造的参考曲线，并且在与曲线比较之前以相同的方式简化磁性数据。这是因为地磁场在空间和时间上都是变化的。虽然这是有效的，但位置的变化会引入误差。我们建议采取一种不同的方法，以产生一个专门为英国的地磁场模型，考古磁性测年。这意味着可以生成任何英国位置的方向和强度信息，并用于材料的日期。模型中包含的数据将来自现有的数据库，文献，最重要的是来自日期较早的考古材料的新实验测定。目前，有最小的强度数据，所以这将是实验工作的重点。微波方法将用于确定由商定的合作者提供的过时的英国样本的场强。最终的成果将是一个适用于英国所有燃烧过的考古材料的测年工具。一旦在英国建立这种模型，就可以在全球范围内应用。

Details of the geomagnetic field are recorded in fired archaeological material such as kilns, hearths, pottery, bricks and tiles. As the geomagnetic field varies over time this information can be experimentally recovered and used as a dating tool. Currently in the UK only in situ material can be dated this way as only the directional variations of the magnetic field are known (unlike in many other countries where the full vector is known). Current practise is to use a reference curve constructed from data reduced to a reference location, and to reduce the magnetic data in the same way before comparing with the curve. This is because the geomagnetic field varies spatially as well as temporally. Whilst this works, the change in position introduces errors. We propose to take a different approach to archaeomagnetic dating by producing a geomagnetic field model specifically for the UK. This will mean that directional and intensity information for ANY UK location can be generated and used to date material. The data to be included in the model will come from already existing databases, literature and most importantly new experimental determinations from well dated archaeological material. At present there is minimal intensity data so this will be the focus of experimental work. The microwave method will be used to determine the intensity of the field from dated UK samples supplied by agreed collaborators. The final output will be a dating tool for the UK that will be applicable for all burnt archaeological material. Once established in the UK this type of modelling can then be applied globally.