Premium
Electron spin resonance dating of human bones from Brazilian shell‐mounds ( Sambaquís )
Author(s) -
Mascarenhas S.,
Filho O. Baffa,
Ikeya M.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330590411
Subject(s) - shell (structure) , electron paramagnetic resonance , human bone , natural (archaeology) , radiation , radiation dose , geology , mineralogy , materials science , chemistry , nuclear magnetic resonance , nuclear medicine , paleontology , physics , medicine , nuclear physics , composite material , biochemistry , in vitro
Electron spin resonance (ESR) signals from bone increase with exposure to radiation. This permits the dating of ancient bone from its exposure to natural radiation over the centuries. The ESR technique was used for dating human bones from Brazilian shell mounds. The results were compared with 14 C dates on charcoal found near the bone. The natural radiation dose rate of the bones was about 0.01 Gy/year (1 rad/year), similar to that found in Japanese shell‐mounds. Ages of the bone samples dated ranged from 2000–5000 years BP.