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Archaeomagnetic dating is the study and interpretation of the signatures of the Earth's magnetic field at past times recorded in archaeological materials. These paleomagnetic signatures are fixed when ferromagnetic materials such as magnetite cool below the Curie point, freezing the magnetic moment of the material in the direction of the local magnetic field at that time. The direction and magnitude of the magnetic field of the Earth at a particular location varies with time, and can be used to constrain the age of materials. In conjunction with techniques such as radiometric dating, the technique can be used to construct and calibrate the geomagnetic polarity time scale. This is one of the dating methodologies used for sites within the last 10,000 years.〔 〕 ==Instances of use== The Earth's magnetic field has two main components. The stronger component known as the Earth’s poles, reverses direction at irregular intervals. The weaker variations are the Earth’s magnetic map. Within these weaker areas the local directions and intensities change gradually (secular variation). A compass does not point to the true North Pole but to direction that is a function of the North Magnetic Pole and the local secular variation to yield a magnetic declination. The magnetic declination at any given time can be frozen into a clay formation that contains magnetite and is heated above the Curie point. In general, many cultures used long-term fire hearths made of clay bricks, or a space lined with clay, that were baked into place by use. These artifacts of occupation can yield the magnetic declination from the last time they were fired or used. Archaeomagnetic dating was described in the 1992 publication “Paleomagnetism: Magnetic Domains to Geologic Terranes.” By Robert F. Butler.〔 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Archaeomagnetic dating」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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