Acquisition of a Lexxyg Research Devise for Radiative Stimulated Luminescence Dating

Suny At Stony Brook, Stony Brook NY

Investigators

Abstract

With the support of the National Science Foundation, the Luminescence Dating Research Laboratory at Stony Brook University (SBU), acquires a Lexsyg Research Luminescence Reader from Freiberg Instruments. This state-of-the-art device has been specially designed to conduct thermoluminescence (TL), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), and infrared-radiofluorescence (IR-RF) measurements for the dating of sedimentary samples. The enhanced capacity of this equipment to include IR-RF stimulation and detection provides a vital resource for students, faculty, and visiting scholars questioning the current understanding of human evolution in Africa and Eurasia. In addition to specific project applications, the instrument is used in the SBU laboratory’s work in refining the accuracy and efficacy of IR-RF dating while expanding the upper dating limit of the methodology. The rarity of this instrument, and specifically its physical adaptability, is a key factor in engaging interdisciplinary STEM youth by making luminescence dating and research in geochronology more broadly engaging. Innovations in dating methods are crucial for pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the past. By extending the time range of the application of luminescence-based dating techniques, the research group provides fundamental new dating evidence directly relevant to archaeological and ecological investigations centered on hominin evolution, past human behavior, and responses to climate change. The instrument’s ability to service IR-RF dating provides a new tool for archaeologists and evolutionary anthropologists to obtain numerical ages on Pleistocene fossil-bearing sediments. Specifically, the device will contribute to the success of multiple ongoing research projects focused on: 1) Examining the accuracy and age limit of the IR-RF dating method, 2) Determining the age of sedimentary deposits containing early stone tools and fossils across multiple regions of the world. 3) Demonstrate the link between environmental changes and the dispersion of ancient cultures across multiple continents. 4) Defining the cultures, territories, and interactions between multiple human species over the Paleolithic and the timing of the disappearance of Neanderthals and Denisovans, 5) Tracking the impact of ecological change on early pastoral societies and their resulting exploitation of the territory. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.