ðɪs hˈiːɾɪŋ kæn biː jˈuːzd æz ɐ zˈiəɹoʊɪŋ pˈɔɪnt, ænd ðə dˈeɪt sˈɪns ðə mətˈɪɹiəl wʌz lˈæst hˈiːɾᵻd kæn biː ɪstˈæblɪʃt θɹuː fˈɪʃən tɹˈæk kˈaʊnts, θˌɜːmoʊlˌuːmɪnˈɛsəns, ɔːɹ, ɪn sˌʌm ɹˈɛɹ kˈeɪsᵻz, pˌeɪliːoʊmˈæɡnɪtˌɪzəm.
This heating can be used as a zeroing point, and the date since the material was last heated can be established through fission track counts, thermoluminescence, or, in some rare cases, paleomagnetism.