Dating Prehistoric Rock Paintings
A new dating method is allowing archaeologists to determine the age of ancient pictographs, or rock paintings.
A new dating method is allowing archaeologists to determine the age of ancient pictographs, or rock paintings. Described by Dr. Martin W. Rowe of Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas), the highly sensitive method is known as accelerator mass spectrometry and requires only 0.05 mg of carbon in order to assess an artifact’s age.
Dr. Rowe points out that rock paintings are among the most difficult archaeological artifacts to date because they lack the high levels of organic material needed to assess age using radiocarbon dating, which has been the standard archaeological technique for more than 50 years. This new method allows archaeologists to incorporate rock paintings into the collection of artifacts that can be used to study life in prehistoric times.
AI and Satellite Spectroscopy Team Up to Monitor Urban River Pollution in China
April 30th 2025A study from Chinese researchers demonstrates how combining satellite imagery, land use data, and machine learning can improve pollution monitoring in fast-changing urban rivers. The study focuses on non-optically active pollutants in the Weihe River Basin and showcases promising results for remote, data-driven water quality assessments.
New Optical Modeling Method Advances Thin Film Analysis Using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
April 30th 2025Researchers at Zhejiang University have developed an advanced optical modeling approach using spectroscopic ellipsometry, significantly enhancing the non-destructive analysis of amorphous silicon oxide thin films.
