The feasibility of applying optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) techniques to obtain estimates of the burial age of lithic clasts in the form of pebbles of quartzose lithology is investigated in this study. We applied OSL measurement procedures to vein-quartz and quartzite pebbles from contexts at five sites with fluvial and coastal beach contexts of depositional age ranging from 500 ka to the mid Holocene. As in previous OSL studies with lithics, measured depth-dose profiles were interpreted to identify regions associated with key stages in the burial history of the pebbles, including the extent of pre-burial optical resetting, primary burial and any subsequent secondary stages of exposure to sunlight. While some of the pebbles had not been fully optically reset before burial, none were in field saturation, as commonly encountered with larger lithic clasts such as cobbles. The relatively low concentrations of radionuclides within vein-quartz and quartzite pebbles simplified the assessment of the radiation dose rate. OSL age estimates consistent with independent dating evidence were obtained for the three sites sampled in the UK (Langford Quarry, Leet Hill Quarry, Swanscombe Skull Site and Barnfield Pit) and one of two sites tested in Portugal (Forte Cão), whereas evidence of secondary optical bleaching detected in pebbles from a second site (Vale de Atela) underestimated the independent age for primary burial. The oldest depositional age of the contexts tested was ~500 ka (Leet Hill Quarry), and for some of the pebbles tested there was the capacity to extend the potential dating range further as the age equivalence of the limiting value of D_e was in excess of 1 Ma. The advantages of working with smaller, portable, clasts in the form of pebbles and with a lithology of higher transparency opens up a wide range of potential applications, whether the depositional processes are environmental or anthropogenic in origin or modification.

在这项研究中，研究了应用光激发发光（OSL）技术来获得石英碎屑卵石形式的碎屑的埋葬年龄的估计的可行性。我们将OSL测量程序应用于五个地点的脉石英，石英岩卵石，其中河流和沿海海滩的沉积年龄范围从500 ka到全新世中期。与以前的石板OSL研究一样，对测得的深度剂量剖面进行解释，以识别与卵石埋葬历史中关键阶段相关的区域，包括埋葬前光学复位的程度，初次埋葬以及随后的任何次生暴露阶段。阳光。虽然有些鹅卵石在埋葬前尚未完全光学复位，但没有一个处于场饱和状态，如较大的石板碎石（例如鹅卵石）通常遇到的情况。脉石英和石英岩卵石中放射性核素的浓度相对较低，简化了辐射剂量率的评估。在英国采样的三个地点（Langford Quarry，Leet Hill Quarry，Swanscombe Skull Site和Barnfield Pit）以及在葡萄牙测试的两个地点之一（ForteCão）获得了与独立约会证据一致的OSL年龄估计。在第二个地点（Vale de Atela）的鹅卵石中检测到的光学漂白作用低估了初次埋葬的独立年龄。测试环境中最古老的沉积年龄为〜500 ka（Leet Hill采石场），并且对于某些测试的卵石，随着D极限值的年龄等价，有能力进一步扩展潜在的测年范围_e超过1 Ma。使用较小的，可移动的碎石形式的碎石以及具有较高透明度的岩性的优点，开辟了广泛的潜在应用，无论沉积过程是环境的还是人为的或改性的。