What is thermoluminescence (TL) testing?
Thermoluminescence (TL) testing scientifically determines the age of an object by taking a physical sample, which is then induced to emit luminescence by non-intrusive laser heating. Luminescence intensity can be used to provide accurate dating of ancient ceramics by measuring the most recent instance when the object was heated to a temperature exceeding 500 celsius. To determinate their age, ceramic samples are heated under laboratory conditions. As a result of this process, energy is released as visible light impulses. This energy is the measure of self and ambient radiation, which have influenced minerals in the ceramics since the last firing. The more radiation (self and ambient) has been stored, the older the ceramics. Thermoluminescence testing is only useful for objects that have been fired in a kiln (i.e., ceramics). This process is accurate to within approximately 400 years, and is an accepted standard for verification of the age of ceramics. This test is most commonly used fo
