Dating methods/Pattern recognition
(proposed syllabus)
“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” Albert Einstein
This course can reasonably be expected to introduce the student to many of the scientific methods used
to discriminate past events, and to understand how pattern recognition is at the base of prehistory and
other disciplines.
I believe this course should be taught for the following reasons:
- Interest in history and prehistory is virtually universal
- How we have determined the age of something is often omitted
- The involvement of math, chemistry, biology, physics, and social sciences, make it a truly
cross-disciplinary subject
- Introduction to patterns related to age determination may inspire a search for more
Personally, I would open the course to all college students and present it in a loose lecture format allowing
for numerous clarification interruptions. The content could easily fill 2-3 hours per week, but without
recognition to degree programs, should be taught as pass/fail, with failure due only to excessive
absence. With recognition, it could offer 3 credit hours to humanities or science degrees, but would
then require examination and some standardization.
Course Schedule (proposed - for summer)
week 1 - Overview
Primary Disciplines - anthropology, archaeology, forensics, geology, history, paleontology
Time Scales - Astronomical Polarity time scale, Astronomical time scale, Cosmological time scale,
Early Solar System timescale, Extinct Radionuclide timescale, Geological time scale, Geomagnetic
Polarity time scale, Geomagnetic time scale, Isotopic time scale, Lunar Geological timescale,
Magnetic Anomaly time scale, Martian Geological timescale, Orbitally Tuned Geological
timescale, Paleontological time scale, Phanerozoic time scale, Radioisotopic time scale
Radiometric time scale, Standard Global Chronostratigraphic Scale
week 2 - Form event discrimination
characteristics patterns
methods - ammonite-zone dating, anthropological dating, artifact time marker,
biochronology, biorange markers, biostratigraphy, biozone dating, geomorphology,
conodont-zone dating, diatom dating, dinoflagellate dating, foraminifera-zone dating,
fossil assemblages, fungal spore zone dating, fusulinid-zone dating,
graptolite-zone dating, index fossils, invertebrate paleontology, lithodemic units,
nannofossil zone dating, paleontology,
palynology, palynomorph zone dating, radiolarian zone dating, seriation,
trilobite-zone dating, typology, zooarchaeology
symbolic patterns
methods - document dating, image dating, style, subjects depicted
event patterns
methods - astronomy dating, Bond events, deglaciation chronology, event chronology,
global climatic events, Heinrich events, lake level analysis, meltwater pulse,
recurrence surface, seafloor spreading rates, sea level variation
Form event discrimination relates observable change in external surface characteristics to the
passage of time. The surface may be that of an object, an organ, or the earth. Characteristics
include size, shape, spatial location, color, and texture. A database of surface characteristics
provides numerous patterns, including age. Large databases of fossil ammonites, amphibians,
conodonts, diatoms, dinoflagellates, fish, foraminifera, fungal spores, fusulinids, graptolites,
insects, leaves, mammals, nannofossils, ostracodes, palynomorphs, pollen, radiolarians, reptiles, and trilobites
exist. Growing databases concern fossil assemblage and biorange data. Human artifacts,
particularly points, pottery, and documents have well defined age characteristics through large
databases. Astronomical data allows extrapolation back to heavens seen by the ancients, and helps
date the universe and its contents. Databases on earth surface change, such as glacial effects,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, sea and lake levels, flooding, uplift, and erosion, provide patterns
leading to age determinations and predictions of future events.
week 3 - Tissue event discrimination
absorption patterns
methods - hydration profiles, obsidian hydration dating, quartz hydration dating,
rehydroxylation dating
accumulation patterns
methods - alunite accumulation, loess-chronometry, patination, seafloor spreading
rates, sedimentation rate chronology, sedimentology, varnish stratigraphy
reduction patterns
methods - body temperature time of death, corrosion age, differential weathering,
growth patterns
methods - anthropological age analysis, coral reef dating, dentition age analysis,
entomological time of death, Lamendin age, lichenometry, speleothem deposition,
stalactite deposition, thermo-microbiological time of death
stratification patterns
methods - age equivalent stratigraphic markers, allostratigraphy, biostratigraphy,
chronostratigraphy, ecostratigraphy, event stratigraphy, ice core dating,
lake sediment successions, lithostratigraphy, paleosol analysis, pedostratigraphy,
sapropel chonology, sequence stratigraphy, stratigraphy, superimposition,
tephrochronology
yearly/seasonal patterns
methods - coral ring dating, dendrochronology, ear wax age, tusk ring analysis,
varve chronology
Tissue event discrimination relates observable change in internal tissue characteristics to the passage
of time. The tissue may be that of plant, animal, rock, or the skin of the earth. Variational
characteristics include color, texture, absorption lines, growth, thickness, and composition above
the molecular level. A database of internal tissue characteristics provides numerous patterns,
including age. The largest database, the stratigraphic, has been growing for hundreds of years, and
is now subdivided into numerous, more manageable, databases. Tree ring and varve databases
have over fifty years of data collection and thus are strong indicators of various event ages. Other
more material specific databases also lead to age control.
week 4 - Molecular event discrimination
chemical availability patterns
methods - paper dating, pigment dating
mutation patterns
methods -
chemical formation/degradation patterns
methods - amino acid racemization, chemical transformations, chemostratigraphy,
environmental release dating, geochemical dating, ink dating, molecular dating,
oxidizable carbon ratio, spectroscopic dating, T-cell
replacement patterns
methods - aragonite/calcite ratios, fluorine analysis, nitrogen analysis, U-Fl-N dating
Molecular event discrimination relates change in molecular composition to the passage of time.
The molecules involved may be those of plant, animal, rock, or the skin of the earth. Typical
change includes availability, mutation, formation, degradation, and replacement. A database of
molecular composition provides numerous patterns, including age.
now a major branch of the biological sciences. It has provided estimates of age for numerous
branchings of the tree of life. Geochemical data analysis is now a major branch of the geological
sciences. It has provided estimates of age for numerous geophysical events. Other more material
specific molecular databases also lead to age control.
week 5 - Atomic event discrimination
cosmogenic surface exposure patterns
methods - 26Al dating, 10Be/9Be dating, 41Ca dating, 36Cl dating, cosmogenic dating,
3He dating, iodine-129 dating, Kr-Kr exposure age, Ne-21 dating
cosmogenic atmospheric exposure patterns
methods - Ar39 dating, 7Be dating, 10Be/9Be dating, cosmogenic dating,
81Kr dating, 210Pb dating, radiocarbon dating, tritium analysis,
tritium/helium-3 dating,
stable isotope records patterns
methods - benthic isotope stratigraphies, carbon-isotope analysis, deuterium analysis,
hydrogen isotope analysis, isotope geochemistry, isotopic dating, isotopic event
stratigraphy, isotopic tracing, lead-lead isotope, marine isotope stage, Nd-Nd ratios,
nitrogen isotope analysis, oxygen isotope record, oxygen isotope stage,
planktonic stratigraphy, 87Sr/86Sr geochronology, 87Sr/86Sr ratios,
stable isotope analysis, strontium isotope stratigraphy, sulfur isotope analysis
alpha particle track patterns
methods - cosmic ray dating, fission track dating, 244Pu fission track thermometry
Atomic event discrimination relates change in atomic composition to the passage of time. The
atoms involved may be stable isotopes or radiogenic isotopes. Typical change involves
accumulation or reduction. A database of atomic composition provides numerous patterns,
including age. Stable isotope data analysis provides age control through stratification, source
tracing, and replacement patterns. Radiogenic isotope data analysis provides the most direct
form of age control. Radiogenic isotopes have been produced by the sun, the presolar nebula,
prior local star groups, and man's nuclear artifices. These isotopes, by decaying at a steady rate,
have provided close age estimates of the early solar system, planets, rocks, biological remnants,
and air/water systems.
week 6 - Atomic event discrimination
nuclear fallout patterns
methods - bomb-radiocarbon dating, cesium137 dating
extant nova produced patterns
methods - argon-40/argon-39, 4He/3He thermochronometry, helium-lead dating,
K-Ca dating, 40K-40Ca ‘double-plus’ dating, Lu-Hf, 231Pa/230Th ratio,
231Pa/235U ratio, Pb-Pb dating, potassium-argon dating, Rb-Sr dating,
Re-Os dating, Sm-Nd dating, Te-Xe dating, 232Th-208Pb dating, 230Th/232Th,
U/Pb dating, uranium/thorium dating, (U-Th)/He dating,
238U-230Th-226Ra dating
extinct nova produced patterns
methods - 26Al/26Mg dating, 10Be/10B dating, 41Ca/41K dating, 36Cl/36S dating,
extinct radioisotope chronometry, 60Fe/60Ni dating, hafnium-tungsten dating,
iodine-xenon dating, 53Mn/53Cr dating, niobium–zirconium chronometry,
107Pd-107Ag dating, Pu-Xe dating, 146Sm-142Nd dating
week 7 - Electronic event discrimination
entrapment patterns
methods - electron spin resonance, infrared stimulated luminescence, luminescence dating,
optically stimulated luminescence, radioluminescence, thermoluminescence
transferance patterns
methods - seismostratigraphy, gamma ray attenuation density
Electronic event discrimination relates change in electronic characteristics to the passage of time.
The electrons involved are in rock, crystal, and the earth. Changes occur through entrapment,
transferance, and magnetic spin properties. A database of electronic characteristics provides
numerous patterns, including age.
week 8 - Electronic event discrimination
spin patterns
methods - magnetic lead dating, magnetobiostratigraphy, magneto(cyclo)stratigraphy,
magnetostratigraphy, paleomagnetic dating
week 9 - Systemic event discrimination
cosmological patterns
method - astrobiochronology, astrochronology, cosmochronology, cyclostratigraphy,
nucleocosmochronology, red shift dating
climatic patterns
methods - climatostratigraphy, paleoclimatology
geophysical patterns
methods - detrital thermochronometry, geochemistry, geochronology, geochronometry,
isotopic geochemistry, paleoaltimetry, paleogeography, paleoceanography,
paleothermometry, paleotopography, sea level variation, tectonic geomorphology
cultural patterns
methods - cultural affiliation dating, migration analysis
ecological patterns
methods - paleobiogeography, paleobiology, paleobotany, paleoecology, paleoenvironmental
reconstruction, paleolimnology, paleoceanography, dendroclimatology,
dendroecology, dendrogeomorphology
Systemic event discrimination takes an 'all of the above' approach to build patterns relating to the
passage of time in cosmology, climatology, geophysics, ecology, and culture.
Chronological
Studies & Dating Methods - Time Periods