From: mk_thisisit
Determining the age of ancient traces, especially those millions of years old, requires sophisticated scientific methods. The process of dating traces from sites like Crete involves a combination of techniques to ensure accuracy and precision [00:22:28].
Absolute Age Determination
One primary method for absolute age determination relies on the decay of radioactive elements [00:20:31]. In geological areas where volcanic activity has occurred, elements escaping from a volcano during an eruption settle into the sediment [00:20:45]. Once settled, the decay of these radioactive elements begins, effectively starting a “clock” that can be calculated to determine the age in days or years [00:20:54].
Correlation of Ocean Wall Levels
Another method involves correlating the levels of ancient ocean walls, specifically analyzing regressive and transgressive sequences within the sediments [00:21:11]. This technique helps place sediments within a known timeline of sea level changes over geological history [00:21:18].
Paleomagnetic Dating
The Earth’s magnetic poles have shifted their position throughout geological history [00:21:32]. Paleomagnetic dating uses the magnetostatic properties of sediments (their alignment with the Earth’s north and south poles at the time of deposition) to determine the time period to which they belong [00:21:43].
Biostratigraphy (Index Fossils)
A third crucial method, often combined with the others, involves the study of species that undergo rapid speciation (emergence of new species) and disappearance of previous ones [00:21:53]. These “index species” allow researchers to link sediments to other dated sediments globally, or even nearby, to quickly determine their age [00:22:07].
For example, tiny marine plankton fossils called foraminifera are particularly useful [00:20:04]. Their shells, found within the rock where traces are preserved, can be examined under a microscope to ascertain the age of specific sediments [00:22:19].
Application to Trachilos, Crete
In the case of the Trachilos site in Crete, where significant pre-human traces were found, all these dating methods were applied [00:22:25]. This comprehensive approach allowed for a highly accurate geological age determination of 6.02 million years for the traces, a figure that refined initial estimates of about 5 million years [00:00:13], [00:04:08], [00:04:10], [00:22:34]. The initial discovery was made over 20 years ago, but it took many years to verify and publish the findings due to the need for rigorous scientific confirmation [00:04:17], [00:04:23], [00:04:33].