Thermoluminescence dating of brazilian indigenous ceramics

Abstract

Two indigenous ceramics fragments, one from Lagoa Queimada (LQ) and another from Barra dos Negros (BN), both sites located on Bahia state (Brazil), were dated by termoluminescence (TL) method. Each fragment was physically prepared and divided into two fractions, one was used for TL measurement and the other for annual dose determination. The TL fraction was chemically treated, divided in sub samples and irradiated with several doses. The plot extrapolation from TL intensities as function of radiation dose enabled the determination of the accumulated dose (Dac), 3.99 Gy and 1.88 Gy for LQ and BN, respectively. The annual dose was obtained through the uranium, thorium and potassium determination by ICP-MS. The annual doses (Dan) obtained were 2.86 and 2.26 mGy/year. The estimated ages were 1375 and 709 y for BN and LQ ceramics, respectively. The ages agreed with the archaeologists’ estimation for the Aratu and Tupi tradition periods, respectively.