Arqueomagnetismoaplicación al estudio del campo magnético de la Tierra y a la caracterización de yacimientos arqueológicos

Abstract

Archaeomagnetism is generally defined as the study and interpretation of the magnetic properties of archaeological baked materials. This technique provides an important tool for Earth Sciences research and particularly for Archaeology. It relies on two physical phenomena: spatial and temporal changes of the geomagnetic field and the ability of certain burned archaeological materials to acquire a thermoremanent magnetization. This magnetization is stable, parallel with and proportional to the ambient field in which the heated materials have cooled. For this reason, for any particular region secular variation curves can be constructed by studying well-dated archeological burned materials. Once established, these regional curves can be used as a dating tool for archaeological features from the same region. In addition, the study of the magnetic properties of archaeological materials can provide a wealth of information including insight into their composition, provenance and paleofiring conditions. In this contribution, the principal physical bases and applications of this technique are reviewed from a non-exhaustive didactical perspective.