Magnetic Moments in the Past

Cathy Batt, Paul Linford, Zoe Outram, 2013. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000158. How to cite using this DOI

Digital Object Identifiers

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are persistent identifiers which can be used to consistently and accurately reference digital objects and/or content. The DOIs provide a way for the ADS resources to be cited in a similar fashion to traditional scholarly materials. More information on DOIs at the ADS can be found on our help page.

Citing this DOI

The updated Crossref DOI Display guidelines recommend that DOIs should be displayed in the following format:

https://doi.org/10.5284/1000158
Sample Citation for this DOI

Cathy Batt, Paul Linford, Zoe Outram (2013) Magnetic Moments in the Past [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1000158

Data copyright © Dr Cathy Batt, Paul Linford, Dr Zoe Outram unless otherwise stated

This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Creative Commons License


Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) logo

Primary contact

Dr Cathy Batt
Senior Lecturer in Archaeological Sciences
Archaeological Sciences
University of Bradford
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD7 1DP
England
Tel: 01274 233533

Send e-mail enquiry

Resource identifiers

Digital Object Identifiers

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are persistent identifiers which can be used to consistently and accurately reference digital objects and/or content. The DOIs provide a way for the ADS resources to be cited in a similar fashion to traditional scholarly materials. More information on DOIs at the ADS can be found on our help page.

Citing this DOI

The updated Crossref DOI Display guidelines recommend that DOIs should be displayed in the following format:

https://doi.org/10.5284/1000158
Sample Citation for this DOI

Cathy Batt, Paul Linford, Zoe Outram (2013) Magnetic Moments in the Past [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1000158

University of Bradford logo
English Heritage logo

Introduction

Photograph: Archaeomagnetic dating in progress

© Stephen Dockrill, 2009

Understanding the age of a given site has always played a central role in archaeology. The principal scientific dating technique used within archaeology is radiocarbon dating, but there are many other techniques that offer advantages to the archaeologists in different situations. Archaeomagnetic dating is one such technique that uses the properties of the Earth's magnetic field to produce a date. A project entitled 'Magnetic Moments in the Past' was launched by the University of Bradford and English Heritage to develop archaeomagnetic dating for application in UK archaeology, funded as part of the AHRC's Knowledge Transfer Fellowship scheme (reference AH/G01020X/1).

The project aimed to demonstrate and communicate the potential of archaeomagnetism for routine use within the UK, and to provide a mechanism for the continued development of the method. This was achieved through the production of a website (http://www.bradford.ac.uk/archaeomagnetism) and a database of all archaeomagnetic studies carried out in the UK and Isle of Man, delivering clear and objective information about the application.

The production of the database of archaeomagnetic studies was central to the aims of the project, allowing users to locate similar studies in a specific geographic region, from a particular period of time, or based on the type of feature that was sampled. This will provide information about:

Photograph: Archaeomagnetic dating

© Sarah-Jane Clelland, 2010.

  • how well archaeomagnetic dating has been applied to different situations
  • the precision of the resulting age ranges
  • aspects that should be taken into account in the future, such as excavation and sampling strategies.
  • the suitability of archaeomagnetic dating in a specific situation
  • In addition to promoting archaeomagnetic dating to a wider audience, the database also acts as a central store for the UK archaeomagnetic information. This aspect is vital as only a fraction of the reports have been digitised and so will contribute to the preservation of this valuable resource.


    ADS logo
    Data Org logo
    University of York logo