What is absolute dating in archaeology?

Absolute dating is a technique used in archaeology and geology to determine the numerical age or range of an artifact, building, or site. Unlike relative dating, which only orders events sequentially, absolute dating relies on physical, chemical, and life properties or historical associations with known calendars. Common techniques include radiocarbon dating, potassium-argon dating, and thermoluminescence.

What we know

• Absolute dating provides a numerical age or range in contrast with relative dating, which places events in order without any measure of age between events. [2, 3]
• In archaeology, absolute dating is typically based on physical, chemical, and life properties of materials or historical associations with materials that have known dates. [3]
• Examples of absolute dating techniques include radiocarbon dating of wood or bones, potassium-argon dating, and thermoluminescence dating of glazed ceramics. [3]
• Coins found in excavations with production dates written on them can serve as historical associations allowing a site to be linked to a calendar year. [3]

Still open

• Some scientists prefer the terms chronometric or calendar dating because the word absolute may imply an unwarranted certainty of accuracy.

Where to go next

• compared withHow does relative dating work in archaeology?
• how it workedHow does radiocarbon dating determine the age of organic materials?
• whoWhat role did Willard Libby play in developing carbon dating?
• a case in pointHow is seriation used to order archaeological finds chronologically?
• the bigger pictureHow is chronological dating applied in historical geology?
• an unexpected connectionHow did above-ground nuclear tests affect radiocarbon dating?Nuclear testing in the 1950s and 1960s drastically increased atmospheric radiocarbon levels, creating a modern baseline that complements the measurement of ancient organic decay.

Sources

• [1]chronological dating (Wikidata Q12764401) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Chronological dating · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Absolute dating · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Seriation (archaeology) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Radiocarbon dating · CC BY-SA 4.0