TL testing is the best scientific test available to determine the "Zero" point or, date of manufacture of:

• Terrcotta and low fired pottery
• Porcelain and stoneware
• Casting core bronzes

To determine the Zero point it is necessary to discover the last date of kiln firing.When a small sample is taken from an object and heated in the lab, a faint blue light is emitted. This Thermoluminescence, or TL for short, can be detected and measured using special light sensitive equipment. The measurements are used to calculate the date the object was either manufactured or last fired. The brighter the light, the older the object.TL testing is widely used by museums, dealers, collectors and auction houses as a means of verifying the dating of ancient artifacts.


For more information see also: Oxford Authentication Ltd