Developments in Fired Clay Ceramic Rehydoxylation Dating (RHX Dating)

Part of: Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Michigan Technological University, California State University-Long Beach, and Arizona State University scientists have been collaborating on a critical assessment of the novel RHX Dating technique, pioneered by Wilson et al. (2009). The proposed technique asserts that the methodical process of mass gain in fired clay ceramics, as the ceramic fabric's remaining clay crystals form atomic bonds with hydroxyl molecules, can be measured and calculated as a clock to identify the number of years befor present that the ceramic was last fired. The three laboratories have run dozens of trials with varied methods, gaining valuable insight into the problems and promise of development. The posters in this session present overviews of data analysis which support cautious optimism for future development of the technique.

Geographic Keywords
North America - Great Basin


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  • Documents (3)

Documents
  • Multi-Lab Collaborative Experiments with RHX Dating (2015)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Timothy Scarlett. Jaroslaw Drelich. Carl Lipo. Elizabeth Niespolo. Shan Zhao.

    Michigan Technological University, California State University-Long Beach, and Arizona State University scientists have been collaborating on a critical assessment of the novel RHX Dating technique, pioneered by Wilson et al. (2009). This chronometric technique, if proven reliable, will transform archaeological dating practices. We have conducted multiple trials with a wide range of ceramic types from Neolithic through Early Modern, using varied set ups of instrumentation and thoughtful lab...

  • Physical Characterization of Stoneware Ceramic Materials (2015)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Steven Sarich. Timothy James Scarlett.

    The Davenport Pottery manufactured earthenware and stoneware in Utah, between 1853 and 1888. This poster uses data from a broad range of analyses, including XRF, INAA, petrography, and mechanical stress testing to develop profiles of the outcomes of technical processes at the pottery shop. These characteristics then provide insight into various key research topics in archaeology, including pottery systematics, life-expectancy and depositional time lag, experimental archaeology, and the...

  • Revised Drying Conditions in Rehydroxylation (RHX) Technique for Dating Ceramic Artifacts (2015)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Shan Zhao. Jaroslaw Drelich. Timothy James Scarlett.

    The Fired Clay Ceramic Rehydroxylation Dating (RHX) technique shows potential for establishing date of manufacture for archaeological ceramics, however for certain samples, such as those recovered at Umbro Greek and Sant’ Ancieto sites, the calculated ages were outside of the expected range by many thousand years. The observation of this over-shooting issue suggested that either the non-refractory mass (Mnrc) or some strongly bonded physical water were left during the ordinary drying process at...