POrtable Dating InstrUMent (PODIUM)

Absolute chronology is of great importance in the geology and archaeological fields since it is one of the key elements to fully understand the paleo-cultural evolution of a given site and/or artifact, especially when no other clear evidence and written sources are present in excavation sites, and the only chronological indications may be provided only by direct absolute dating technique and analysis. Among the existing absolute dating techniques, luminescence has many successful applications on Earth and is also a very well-established method since other methodologies, such as C14 and U/Th, are limited to the scale limit of ~ 50ky and, in any case, C14 cannot be used in the absence of organic material, whereas luminescence can determine absolute ages up to 1 million years. In the framework of the project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2018 IN TIME (IN-SITU INSTRUMENT FOR MARS AND EARTH DATING APPLICATIONS, G.A. 823934), a portable luminescence dating prototype has been developed and validated (vs equivalent laboratory analysis) by Alma Sistemi S.r.l. in cooperation with the Luminescence laboratory of University of Sassari. The IN-TIME project was focused on robotic planetary exploration of Mars but it includes all the potential to be adopted for Earth Science. In fact, an instrument providing such data will be a fundamental tool for in-situ investigations as, at the moment, the existing offer of dating instruments based on luminescence are only available for specialized laboratory and not for in-situ analysis. PODIUM is stemming from the project IN TIME addressing Earth field applications as a light and portable dating instrument in geology and archaeology. The present thesis addresses the instrument design, development, verification and validation of the Earth “version” of the instrument developed in cooperation between ALMA Sistemi Srl and University of Sassari.