2: Relative Dating

Question 1

What is Absolute Dating and give 2 main examples

Answer 1

Provides precise dates or ranges of dates
* Ex: Radiocarbon dating (C14)
* Ex: Dendrochronology (tree ring dating)

Question 2

What is Relative Dating and give 2 main examples

Answer 2

Determines the relative ages of sites and objects by ordering them in a sequence
* Ex: Typology and Seriation
* Ex: Stratigraphy

Question 3

What is typology and seriation

Answer 3

groups artifacts together based on looks asnd styles to a specific time period

Question 4

Which dating method was used primarily

Answer 4

Relative dating was used primarily before absolute dating

Question 5

What is stratigraphy and stratum

Answer 5

• The description or study of sediment strata
• Stratum (pl. strat) is a layer or series of layers of sediment in the ground

Question 6

Soil vs Sediment

Answer 6

Soil: organic and inorganic material that develops on a stable surface of the Earth and sustains life. Forms in situ

Sediment: organic and inorganic material deposited after the weathering and transport of rock. Develops as a result of movement

Question 7

Ways sediment is transported, which ones are the main ones?

Answer 7

• Wind: dust and sandstorm
• Water: oceans, river, glaciers, lakes
• Alluvial: moving water like rivers and floods
• Lacustrine: standing water like lakes
• Gravity
• Humans: can deposit cultural layers like man made artifacts
• 3 main ones are wind, water, and gravity

Question 8

What are the Steno’s Laws of Stratigraphy

Answer 8

• Nicolas Steno: 17th century Danish scientist who outlined 4 laws to describe how stratigraphic layers are deposited
  1. Law of Superposition
  2. Law of Original Horizontality
  3. Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships
  4. Law of Lateral Continuity

Question 9

Law of Superposition

Answer 9

Younger strata will be deposited on top of older strata, under normal depositional conditions

Question 10

Law of Original Horizontality

Answer 10

Strata are deposited in flat layers, if a stratum does not lie flat, some geologic even after deposition caused them to be that way

Question 11

Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships

Answer 11

An intrusion into strata is the younger (and youngest) than the layers it intersects

Question 12

Law of Lateral Continuity

Answer 12

Sediment layers spread horizontally until they reach an obstacle that keeps them from spreading further. If there is a depression into the flat layers of strata then it must have been hollowed out after the formation of strata

Question 13

Law of Association

Answer 13

• Not one of Steno’s
• Objects found in the same archaeological layer must all date from the same time period, unless there has been some form of clear disturbance

Question 14

How doe stratigraphy help in archaeology?

Answer 14

• Document site formation processes
• Reconstruct past natural landscapes
• Determine relative or absolute dating context

Question 15

What is vertical mapping and what does it document

Answer 15

• Archaeological units mapped in 3D
• Document unit walls with horizontal and vertical axes
• Records width and depth of strata
• Describes contents of layers

Question 16

How is vertical mapping done

Answer 16

• measurements are taken of each stratum change at set intervals and plotteed on grid paper
• measurements must be both level (horizontal): using a line level and plumb (vertical): using a plumb bob
• Connect the plotted points to show stratum transitions (boundaries)
• All mapps need: title, labelled axes (cm/cmbs), north arrow, legeld, scale, name, and date

Question 17

What is the Harris Matrix

Answer 17

• Used to represent stratigraphic relationships
• Layer/feature represented by letter or number in box (from oldest to youngest going from bottom to up)
• Direct relationships of layers (touching) indicated by line