Relative Dating

Relative Dating

1. Definition: when can not work out the exact dates archeologists use the process of relative dating. In other terms is the way of dating artefacts based on relative age or by sorting artefacts from oldest to newest. Working out relative order of events, without determining the artefacts absolute date. It is more of an estimation of the date.

2. DATING METHODS:

   • SERIATION: this is dating through comparison of work in Egypt done by Flinders Petri. By using assumptions that tombs with the same style meant they were made in the same time frame therefore artefacts found in tomb was of that time.
   • DENDROCRONOLOGY: this is used for wooden products such as posts and beams from particular dates in time. This is the studying of rings in the wooden products. The overlapping of rings in the wood are counted to find a date. This way of dating wood is both absolute and relative.
   • ODSIDIAN HYDRATION DATING: with obsidian when it is exposed to air a layer goes around it. Over time the layer gets thicker. By measuring the thickness of the layer it gives an estimated time of usage.
   • STRATIGRAPHY: This idea states that material found in lower stratigraphic units which means that is deeper underground the older the material is. This provides a rough estimation of the dates of artefacts. This way of dating provides a simple way to know how old the artefact is in comparison to others.
   • SEQUENCES: The use of looking at what animals are represented in the artefacts can give an estimate to what date the artefact was used from. For example if the animals depicted are now extinct it represents the time frame that that artefact could’ve been made or used.

3. ADVANTAGES:

   • It can be used to test a range of artefacts in two different locations.
   • Quick and cost effective method of dating.

4. DISADVANTAGES:

   • Based on assumptions that there is a connection between artefacts
   • Fake artefacts can treathen accuracy.

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