Lecture: Chronology and Chemistry from 50,000 Years Ago
| Date/Time: | Friday, 31 Aug 2012 at 4:10 pm |
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| Location: | 3 Physics Hall |
| Cost: | Free |
| Contact: | |
| Phone: | 515-294-9934 |
| Channel: | Lecture Series |
| Categories: | Lectures |
| Actions: | Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder |
Elisabetta Boaretto was awarded the IBA-Europhysics Prize for Applied Nuclear Science and Nuclear Methods and Nuclear Researches in Medicine in recognition of her significant contribution to the development of precise quality-controlled radiocarbon dating and the application of accelerator mass spectrometry techniques to the field of archaeology. She has developed novel field-applicable, pre-screening techniques that can be applied to excavations that focus on well-defined archaeological context and sample material.
She has also introduced the use of infrared and Raman spectroscopy for sample characterization and quality control. These methods not only increase the analytical precision and accuracy of the radiocarbon date but also relate this information to the context. These methods are now being used by many laboratories throughout the world.
Boaretto has conducted research on understanding the structure and preservation of charred materials that are extensively used for dating. She has applied her expertise to a high-resolution sub-century dating study of the Iron Age (ca. 1200-600 BC) in Israel, which has had an impact on the biblical chronology.
She led the dating of a cave site in Yuchanianin Hunan (China). The study involved analyzing the cave stratigraphy, prescreening bones and charcoal, and finally the results showed that the ceramics were produced around 18,000 years ago; the oldest in the world to date.