Equivalent dose (palaeo-dose) estimation in thermoluminescence dating using a single aliquot of poly-mineral fine grains

A single aliquot protocol for the estimation of the natural dose in thermoluminescence dating (SATL) is presented that makes use of poly-mineral fine grains extracted from ceramic materials. The protocol is demonstrated using aliquots made from two Neolithic sherds and is compared with results from an additive dose poly-mineral technique. The results of both techniques are in close agreement and highlight the potential advantages of the new procedure, especially when sample availability is restricted, e.g. dating of small pottery fragments, or in cases of authenticity testing. (authors)