Josh F. Feinberg
Associate Director of the (National) Institute for Rock Magnetism (http://www.irm.umn.edu/IRM/index.html) Collaborating with the Archaeomagnetism Laboratory of Yale’s Council on Archaeological Studies on projects in Peru, Egypt, Senegal, and South Africa
New Magnetic Tools for Archaeology and Anthropology
Date: Monday, February 22nd
Time: 4:00 pm
Place: Seminar Room (room 101) at 51 Hillhouse Ave.
Description: The most informative archaeological studies integrate observations from multiple techniques in order to constrain the age of materials discovered at a site and to understand the anthropological and geological processes that have influenced the final material assemblage. Most often these techniques include sedimentological analyses, bio- and chemostratigraphy, and radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence geochronology. Despite a recent resurgence in popularity, magnetic methods remain an underutilized geophysical tool in archaeology. This talk will show how the magnetic community has moved far beyond standard site surveys to develop decadal-scale archaeomagnetic dating, material provenance studies, paleoprecipitation