Three kilns and a collection of baked bricks from Italian archaeological sites have been studied for archaeointensity determination using the Thellier method as modified by Coe. All sites are dated based on archaeological information and...
moreThree kilns and a collection of baked bricks from Italian archaeological sites have been studied for archaeointensity determination using the Thellier method as modified by Coe. All sites are dated based on archaeological information and their ages range from 500 to 800 AD and 1500 to 1700 AD. Rock magnetic studies identify magnetite, Ti- magnetite and hematite as the main magnetic minerals, and magnetic susceptibility versus temperature shows a good thermal stability of the samples. The intensity results have been corrected for anisotropy of the thermoremanent magnetization and cooling rate effects. The new data together with 136 previously published results are used to estimate the variation of the Earth's magnetic field over the past three millennia. The time distribution of the Italian absolute intensity data is irregular with the majority of determinations concentrated during the last four centuries, while older periods are very poorly covered. Most of the data come from vo...
