Over the last few decades the importance of geochronology in Quaternary studies has significantly increased and the development of accurate numerical dating tools has become an essential foundation for reliable interpretations of palaeoenvironmental proxies, landscape evolution, geomorphic processes, palaeoclimate records, palaeoecological changes, archaeological histories and human evolution. There is now a wide array of numerical Quaternary dating methods available, though their applicability and accuracy may vary significantly at individual sites depending on a series of factors, including the age range of interest, the types and purity of preserved material, and its association (e.g. taphonomic history, stratigraphic correlation) with the event that is being dated (e.g. Ludwig and Renne, 2000; Grün et al., 2010; Rink and Thompson, 2015; Rixhon et al., 2017). Radiometric methods such as radiocarbon, argon-argon (Ar–Ar) and U-series dating typically offer the greatest analytical precision and are based on relatively standardized analytical procedures. Other techniques such as electron spin resonance (ESR), luminescence, and cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) dating have not yet reached the same level of standardization, but they nevertheless offer invaluable age constraint across a wide range of sites, depositional contexts and timeframes, particular when the more routinely used and standardized radiometric methods are not applicable.