Chronometric dating methods

Chronology: Absolute Dating Methods

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Absolute chronology, meaning in archaeology and geology, is the process that determines the age of a specific chronology. There are numerous scientific methods by which the age of an object can be determined depending on its material culture, the process of formation, and its surroundings. Such studies help improve understanding of the culture of a particular time, and such archaeological findings piece together the past that connects contemporary cultures today.

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Most of the chronometric dating methods in use today are radiometric. That is to say, they are based on knowledge of the rate at which certain radioactive isotopes within dating samples decay or the rate of other cumulative changes in atoms resulting from radioactivity.

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Chronometric Dating in Archaeology

Chronometry or numerical dating aims to provide age estimates in terms of years for archaeological and paleoanthropological events or processes. Most of the methods currently applied with success are based on the physical phenomenon of radioactivity, which provides the clock. Ongoing developments in the last few decades provide rapid progress in the growing field of chronometric dating. In particular, improvements in time resolution and application to novel sample materials as well as the extension of the age ranges have left a strong impact on current paleoanthropology. This contribution introduces the reader to the principles of radiometric dating.

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