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New research suggests ancient pottery may contain a magnetic “clock,” providing researchers with a lasting record of how long ago ceramic artifacts were created.
According to scientists at the University of California, San Diego, the newly-developed method allows this lingering magnetic signal to help distinguish genuinely ancient clay artifacts from modern forgeries.
In experiments, clay objects more than 1,000 years old retained a magnetic signature that could only be erased by heating them above 234°F. (112°C). Modern objects lost the same type of magnetism at lower temperatures.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research could give archaeologists and museums a new forensic tool for investigating artifacts whose origins are uncertain, while potentially giving law enforcement another way to build cases involving antiquities fraud.
thedebrief.org
According to scientists at the University of California, San Diego, the newly-developed method allows this lingering magnetic signal to help distinguish genuinely ancient clay artifacts from modern forgeries.
In experiments, clay objects more than 1,000 years old retained a magnetic signature that could only be erased by heating them above 234°F. (112°C). Modern objects lost the same type of magnetism at lower temperatures.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research could give archaeologists and museums a new forensic tool for investigating artifacts whose origins are uncertain, while potentially giving law enforcement another way to build cases involving antiquities fraud.
Scientists Discover Ancient Pottery Contains a Magnetic "Clock" That Can Reveal Its Past
Scientists discovered a magnetic “clock” in ancient pottery that could help museums distinguish real artifacts from modern fakes.
thedebrief.org
