Ann Wintle

Ann Grace Wintle is a British geophysicist and is the pioneer of luminescence dating, by increasing the precision of existing methods and maximum age of fossil the method is able to reliably date. She also set up the NERC luminescence dating facility in Aberystwyth, Wales.

Early life and education Wintle was born in 1948 in Hampshire.

Wintle became an Emeritus Professor at Aberystwyth University in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences in 2001.

Her work focuses on luminescence dating, a field at the intersection of archaeology, geology and physics. She studies and applies techniques to date samples from sedimentary deposits containing minerals such as quartz or feldspars. This process is used in archaeology, to date traces of human activity or fossils, and in geology, to trace changes in climate conditions.

Awards and honours Wintle is an Honorary Member of the Quaternary Research Association

In 2015, she was awarded the Liu Tungsheng Distinguished Career Medal For Distinguished Service To The International Community In Quaternary Science.

In 2018, she received the James Croll Medal from the Quaternary Research Association.

She has received Honorary Doctorates from the University of Uppsala in 2001, She is recognised for her contributions to the development of the field of luminescence dating, for her collaborative work in establishing luminescence dating research laboratories around the world, and for her mentorship.