Historical chronology

Historical chronology is the ordering and dating of events and periods in the past. It uses evidence and dating systems to establish when events occurred and how they relate in time.

Calendar: A system for organizing days into units such as weeks, months, and years. Calendars supply the recurring dates used to place historical events.
Radiocarbon dating: A method for estimating the age of once-living material by measuring its carbon-14 content. It dates organic remains that can anchor archaeological events in time.
Sumerian King List: An ancient Mesopotamian text listing rulers and the lengths of their reigns. Its ruler sequence illustrates an early attempt to organize political time.
Absolute dating: Methods that assign numerical age estimates to objects or events. It contrasts with sequence-based dating by estimating calendar ages.
Era: A span of time defined by a shared starting point or distinctive characteristics. Era systems divide chronology into named periods with defined boundaries.
Dendrochronology: The dating of wood through patterns of annual growth rings. Tree-ring sequences can assign calendar years to wooden artifacts and structures.
Egyptian chronology: The scholarly reconstruction of dates and sequences for ancient Egyptian history. Egyptian king lists and reigns provide a long-running framework for ancient chronology.
Relative dating: Methods that establish whether an object or event is earlier or later than another. It orders evidence without necessarily assigning a numerical year.
Epoch: A point in time chosen as the beginning of a system of reckoning. Epochs anchor dates to a recognized starting point.
Stratigraphy: The study of layered deposits and their sequence of formation. Layer relationships establish which archaeological remains are earlier or later.

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