Abstract
This group of dating methods is based on time-dependent chemical reactions. Provided the rate of the chemical reaction is known then the duration of the reaction process, i. e., the age of the system, can be inferred from the progress of the reaction. The chemical reactions used for dating are essentially parts of chemical weathering processes, concerning chiefly diffusion, selective ion exchange and oxidation. One reaction which is largely independent of weathering is amino acid racemization. Chemical methods of dating can be assigned to two groups. One group (e.g., hydration) permits age determination of the surface exposure of materials consisting of silicates. By means of the other methods (e.g., racemization), the burial period of skeletal remains in the soil is measured.
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© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Wagner, G.A. (1998). Chemical Reactions. In: Age Determination of Young Rocks and Artifacts. Natural Science in Archaeology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03676-1_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03676-1_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-08331-0
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