Except for doing simple authenticity tests of art objects, thermoluminescence dating is not generally accurate enough for archaeological standards. There are many factors which have to be taken into account and each of these factors has its own random error. Thermoluminescence dating is used for rocks, minerals and pottery. It dates items between the years 300-10,000B.P. It is based on the fact that almost all natural minerals are thermoluminescent. Energy absorbed from ionizing radiation frees electrons to move through the crystal lattice and some are trapped at imperfections.
Later heating releases the trapped electrons, producing light.
Measurement of the intensity of the luminescence can be used to determine how much time has passed since the last time the object was heated. The light is proportional to the amount of radiation absorbed since the material was last heated. Natural radioactivity causes latent thermoluminescence to build up so the older an object is the more light is produced. Therefore, thermoluminescence dating is actually determining the last time a crystal was heated and electrons were released. The minerals that are used for thermoluminescence dating are quartz, feldspar, diamond and calcite.