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Thermoluminescence dating of an upper pleistocene site, Northern Pakistan
Author(s) -
Rendell H. M.,
Dennell R. W.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
geoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1520-6548
pISSN - 0883-6353
DOI - 10.1002/gea.3340020105
Subject(s) - pleistocene , loess , thermoluminescence dating , geology , archaeology , glacial period , sequence (biology) , blade (archaeology) , paleontology , thermoluminescence , range (aeronautics) , early pleistocene , upper paleolithic , geography , irradiation , genetics , physics , materials science , nuclear physics , composite material , biology
Abstract Thermoluminescence (TL) dates are presented for the Upper Pleistocene loess sequence that overlies a Paleolithic site 14.5 km southeast of Rawalpindi, northern Pakistan (lat. 33° 30′ 30″ long. 73° 10′ 40″). These dates provide the first dating of Pleistocene blade assemblages in Pakistan, and also indicate that the loess is associated with the last, and not just the penultimate, glaciation of the Himalayas as had been previously thought. The site includes the remains of a structure and numerous blade tools, and may have been used for skin‐working or some comparable activity. The ten TL dates presented span the age range 64–24 ka, and imply an early date for blade industries in the northern part of the Indian sub‐continent of ca. 45–42 ka.