Knowra Archaeological chronology Archaeological chronology Archaeological chronology arranges evidence of past human activity into an ordered sequence, using relative relationships and calendar dates to establish when events occurred.
Stratigraphy : The study of layered deposits and their sequence of formation. Superposition usually places undisturbed lower archaeological layers earlier than those above them.
Relative dating : The ordering of events or objects as earlier or later without assigning calendar dates. Many archaeological sequences begin with relative order before absolute dating.
Three-age system : A scheme dividing European prehistory into Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages. It organizes broad technological sequences when written dates are unavailable.
Relative chronology : An ordered sequence of events without assigning them numerical calendar dates. It establishes before-and-after relationships but not the calendar ages sought in absolute chronology.
Seriation : A method that orders artifacts by changes in style, frequency, or form. It builds relative sequences when direct calendar dates are unavailable.
Absolute dating : Methods that estimate a numerical age or date for an object, event, or deposit. Calendar-based chronology depends on numerical estimates with stated uncertainty.
Archaeological culture : A recurring pattern of material remains associated with a particular region and period. Chronological ordering helps distinguish cultural phases and trace their overlap.
Absolute chronology : A sequence anchored to numerical dates or age estimates. Its calendar claims complement, but do not replace, relative ordering.
Radiocarbon dating : A method for estimating the age of once-living material from its carbon-14 content. It supplies calendar-age estimates for organic remains in archaeological contexts.
Archaeological context : The provenience, associations, and depositional history of an archaeological find. Context determines which event a dated object can actually represent.
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