Dating the Quaternary: progress in luminescence dating of sediments

Luminescence dating comprises a collection of numerical-age techniques that are among the most significant chronological tools currently used in Quaternary research. This paper briefly reviews the key historical developments in luminescence dating, from its roots in thermoluminescence dating of heated minerals to the development of optical dating methods for sunlight-exposed sediments. We describe the principles and practicalities of the various techniques commonly used in luminescence dating, including multiple-aliquot, single-aliquot and single-grain procedures, and we discuss some of the latest approaches to recognising and minimising potential errors in age estimation (e.g., by means of component analysis and dose distribution methods in optical dating). The overview also introduces the other papers in this special issue of Quaternary Science Reviews, which address a selection of important issues in basic research, technique development and application of luminescence dating to critical questions in the geological and archaeological sciences, illustrated with examples from around the world and the last million years of Earth history.