Ren-Date is a software programme for archaeomagnetic dating. It is relies on Bayesian statistics, assuming hierarchical sampling and laboratory analysis.

What does REN-DATE do?
Having calculated the mean direction and/or the intensity of an archaeological artefact (strictly following the hierarchy), REN-DATE calculates probability densities of possible dates for each geomagnetic field element, by comparison with a secular variation mastercurve. The archaeomagnetic dating is obtained by combining all probability densities, in order to find the most probable solution.

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Requirements
REN-DATE is available for the disk operating system MS-WINDOWS.

Installation
Unzip the file you have downloaded and follow the instructions on the screen.


Download

Click here to download the zipped file; file size 1.3 Mb.

Advice on usage
The files GAL2002D.REF and GAL2002I.REF concern the French secular variation master curve for declination and inclination, respectively, reduced to Paris according to the synthesised data from Gallet et al. 2002. Both files were preliminary calculated using the programme RenCurve, but do currently not take into account the errors in time. For further question please contact Philippe Lanos philippe.lanos@univ-rennes1.fr.

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References
Gallet, Y., Genevey, A. and M. Le Goff, Three millennia of directional variation of the Earth's magnetic field in western Europe as revealed by archaeological artefacts, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 131, 81-89, 2002.

Lanos, P., Bayesian inference of calibration curves: application to archaeomagnetism, in: Buck, C. & A. Millard (eds.), Tools for constructing chronologies: crossing disciplinary boundaries, Springer-Verlag, London, Vol. 177, pp. 43-82, 2004.

Lanos, P., Le Goff, M., Kovacheva, M. and E. Schnepp, Hierarchical modelling of archaeomagnetic data and curve estimation by moving average technique, Geophysical Journal International, 160, 440-476, 2005.