Absolute dating methods in archaeology

8.1: Introduction to Dating Methods

When museums and collectors purchase archaeological items for their collections they enter an expensive and potentially deceptive commercial fine arts arena. Healthy profits are to be made from illicitly plundered ancient sites or selling skillfully made forgeries. Archaeological scientists have two primary ways of telling the age of artefacts and the sites from which they came: relative dating and absolute dating. Relative dating in archaeology presumes the age of an artefact in relation and by comparison, to other objects found in its vicinity. Limits to relative dating are that it cannot provide an accurate year or a specific date of use. The style of the artefact and its archaeology location stratigraphically are required to arrive at a relative date. The underlying principle of stratigraphic analysis in archaeology is that of superposition. This term means that older artefacts are usually found below younger items. When an archaeological site is excavated the sides of the unexcavated baulk reveals layering of subsequent settlements and activity. Stratigraphic excavation is the recording and study of these different strata as they are removed from the area.

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After excavating a site, one of the first questions to answer relates to time. Much of the meaning that can be inferred from a site comes from the context—when the site was used and when the various artifacts collected were made, used, and left behind. It is a straightforward question to ask, but one that has long been difficult to answer. Newer, more advanced dating techniques now allow archaeologists to establish when sites were occupied and artifacts were made. We can determine when items were discarded, plants were harvested, wood and other items were burned, and tools were made.

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The study of the past is to understand the human behavioral activities and cultural progress in a sequential order based on tangible and intangible evidences in a given socio-economic-cultural context. The Archaeological data has to be placed in a chronological order to understand this sequential cultural process. For this, various dating methods are being used in the archaeological investigations. Read less.

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Absolute Dating Methods in Archaeology.pptx

Not sure what you're looking for? Browse the A-Z index. Archaeologists have two main ways to tell the age of sites and artifacts. Relative dating tells how old something is in relation to other objects, but cannot provide a year or specific date of use.

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