Fine-grain TL dating of archaeometallurgical furnace walls

Thermoluminescence (TL) signals of ceramic fragments from an archaeometallurgical furnace, sampled in Kythnos (Greece), were investigated using an additive dose fine-grain polymineral protocol. Based on the measurements, dates were produced that shed light on the beginnings of Cycladic Bronze Age metallurgy. Additionally, the mineralogy of the fragments was examined to study the relation between their TL characteristics and the temperatures they were exposed to during the pyrometallurgical process. The results presented here highlight sources of additional error in TL dating of ancient furnace remains, like varying sensitivity characteristics and potential mineralogical alterations.