Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Magnetism and Archaeology

Abstract

A RECENT discussion about reversed geomagnetic events in the Brunhes epoch contains the statement that no archaeological materials are known to be reversely magnetized1. This may be true for the specific region that is considered in the article, but it is not true in general. G. Folgheraiter in “Rendi Conti dei Licei”, 1896, 1899; Archives des sciences physiques et naturellas (Geneva), 1899; Journal de physique, 1899; and P. L. Mercanton, in “La methode de Folgheraiter et son role en geophysique”, Archives des sciences physiques et naturellas, 1907, reported observations made on clay fired in kilns by the Etruscans and Greeks. Their results indicate that in the eighth century BC the Earth's magnetic field was reversed.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nature, 239, 305 (1972).

  2. Velikovsky, I., Earth in Upheaval, 146 (Doubleday, 1955).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

RANSOM, C. Magnetism and Archaeology. Nature 242, 518–519 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/242518b0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/242518b0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing