Magnetic Moments in the Past

Understanding the age of a given site has always played a central role in archaeology. The principal scientific dating technique used within archaeology is radiocarbon dating, but there are many other techniques that offer advantages to the archaeologists in different situations. Archaeomagnetic dating is one such technique that uses the properties of the Earth's magnetic field to produce a date. A project entitled 'Magnetic Moments in the Past' was launched by the University of Bradford and English Heritage to develop archaeomagnetic dating for application in UK archaeology, funded as part of the AHRC's Knowledge Transfer Fellowship scheme (reference AH/G01020X/1). This project was for one year, ending in May 2010.

The aim of the project was to demonstrate and communicate the potential of archaeomagnetism for routine use within the UK, and to provide a mechanism for the continued development of the method. This was achieved through the production of a website and a database of all archaeomagnetic studies carried out in the UK and Isle of Man, delivering clear and objective information about the application.