Thermoluminescence dating of periods of sand movement and linear dune formation in the northern Negev, Israel

The dating of periods of sand movement and dune formation in the Negev has, until the present study, been based on the presence of stone artefacts on, within or beneath sand dunes, or upon ¹⁴C dating of associated deposits. We present the results of a preliminary thermoluminescence (TL) dating study of sand and interdune-playa deposits from the Sede Hallamish area of the northern Negev. The results appear to indicate that: (a) sediments in the interdune area were deposited over a period from at least 43 ka to 9 ka and include several depositional cycles; and (b) the lower parts of the linear dunes were formed 6-10 ka and the dune flanks have been stabilized since then. These results are placed in the context of existing studies of the palaeoclimate of the Negev during the Late Pleistocene.