Dating methods for archaeology

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Dating refers to the archaeological tool to date artefacts and sites, and to properly construct history. Relative techniques can determine the sequence of events but not the precise date of an event, making these methods unreliable. This method includes carbon dating and thermoluminescence. The first method was based on radioactive elements whose property of decay occurs at a constant rate, known as the half-life of the isotope. Today, many different radioactive elements have been used, but the most famous absolute dating method is radiocarbon dating, which uses the isotope 14 C. This isotope, which can be found in organic materials and can be used only to date organic materials, has been incorrectly used by many to make dating assumptions for non-organic material such as stone buildings. The half-life of 14 C is approximately years, which is too short for this method to be used to date material millions of years old.

The emergence of man through the process of biological and cultural evolution is a story of long span of time. For the archaeologist and the prehistorian who deals with that long history of man, time is the most important consideration. The sequence of development of culture or the relationship between events that represent culture can be established only when events can be placed in proper time. Chronology, the study of events in time frame, is hence the central theme of archaeologist, like the geologist who deals with the story of earth history.

Dating methods in historical archaeology differ little from the methods of archaeology in general. Both absolute and relative dating approaches are employed. However, historical archaeology has tended to de-emphasize archaeometric analyses because of the availability of a documentary record.