5. Confinement. Summary tables

This short summary does not cover all the methods available. Interested readers will find them described in the general works listed in the bibliography. Most dating methods are now available from university laboratories or research organizations (CNRS, CEA, BRGM). When choosing a method, it is important to know what you are trying to date, the nature of the sample and the quantity of material available. Tables 1 and 2 will help you make a quick choice. In some cases, it may be useful to carry out age determinations using several methods to validate the results.

The number of dating methods in use today is enormous, and goes hand in hand with the development of instrumentation capable of analyzing ever smaller quantities of matter. This implies...