Dating Methods

Question 1

Who developed the technique of radiocarbon dating?

Answer 1

Willard Libby

Question 2

When was the technique of carbon dating develped?

Answer 2

1949

Question 3

How far back does carbon dating work?

Answer 3

58-62,000 y.a.

Question 4

What is carbon dating usually used for?

Answer 4

Dating organic remains from archaeological sites.

Question 5

What isotopes does carbon have?

Answer 5

Carbon has two stable, non radioactive isotopes: carbon-12 and carbon-13 and also trace amounts of the unstable radioisotope carbon-14.

Question 6

What is the half-life of carbon-14?

Answer 6

Carbon-14 has a relatively short half-life of 5,730 years. This means that the fraction of carbon-14 in a sample is halved in that time due to radioactive decay.

Question 7

What did Libby assume? (Number 1)

Answer 7

That the ratio of radiocarbon to ordinary carbon in the atmosphere has remained constant.

Question 8

What did Libby assume? (Number 2)

Answer 8

Living organisms contain the same proportion of C-14 to C-12 as does the atmosphere.

Question 9

What did Libby assume? (Number 3)

Answer 9

That on the death of an organism the ratio of C-14 to C-12 will change only as a result of the decay of radiocarbon.

Question 10

What did Libby assume? (Number 4)

Answer 10

That the rate of decay of radiocarbon by disintegration can always be accurately measured.

Question 11

When was the first radiocarbon revolution?

Answer 11

Up to 50,000 y.a.

Question 12

What impact have new dating techniques had on chronology.

Answer 12

Chronology has been rewritten. E.g. The Bronze Age was thought to be 1500-700 BC but now it is known to have been 2500-700 BC.

Question 13

What were some of the dating techniques prior to radiocarbon dating?

Answer 13

Typology, Stratigraphy, Historical Contexts and Artifacts.

Question 14

What is Dendrochronology?

Answer 14

Dendrochronology is a dating technique using the method of studying the patterns of tree-rings. It can date the exact year that these rings were formed.

Question 15

What can Dendrochronology be used for?

Answer 15

Dendrochronology can be used to determine past ecologies (prominently climate), date old buildings, boats e.t.c. And also to calibrate radiocarbon ages.

Question 16

How far back can Dendrochronology be used?

Answer 16

11,000 y.a.

Question 17

Who developed Dendrochronology?

Answer 17

A. E. Douglass an astronomer.

Question 18

When was Dendrochronology developed?

Answer 18

First half of the 20th centuary.

Question 19

When was the first fixed chronology?

Answer 19

June 22nd, 1929.

Question 20

What is chronology?

Answer 20

To put events in order and to give them a date.

Question 21

What it typology?

Answer 21

Putting objects in order of simularity.

Question 22

What is stratigraphy?

Answer 22

Stratigraphy is the depositing of layers, one above the other, with older layers bellow the newer ones.

Question 22

What is relative dating?

Answer 22

Relative dating is when is when an object or event is put in order when compared to others. Although this puts them in a sequence it does not give them the date at which they occur (‘absolute date’).

Question 23

What can stratigraphy be used for?

Answer 23

Stratigraphy can be used to detect human (rubbish pits) and natural disturbances and objects found in layers and date them relatively.

Question 24

What is the Harris Matrix?

Answer 24

The Harris Matrix can be used to put stratigraphical layers in relative order. If an object is found in a layer it is likely that other objects were deposited there at around the same time.

Question 25

What if an object from a stratigraphical layer is afterwards given an absolute date?

Answer 25

Then other objects found within that layer can be assigned the same approximate date.

Question 26

What does stratigraphy not show?

Answer 26

Stratigraphy only shows the relative time in which an object was deposited and not when it was made or used.

Question 27

How can the Climate be used as a dating techniqe?

Answer 27

The climate can be used as a dating technique. The Ice Age was previously used, (mainly in relation to the forming and thawing of glaciers), until it was discovered that the ice age was more complex than previously thought (a series of cold periods and warmer periods).

Question 28

How can pollen be used as a dating technique?

Answer 28

Pollen is very durable so this relative dating technique can be used up to 3 million years. Pollen is often preserved in bogs and lakes. They help to show sequences of past vegetation and climates. This as been particularly helpful in dating the Holocene in Northern Europe. However it is not uniform across large areas.

Question 29

What is Faunal Dating

Answer 29

Faunal dating is a relative dating technique where the evolution of animals (mostly mammals) is studied to create a sequence. If a similar sequence is found at two different sites then they can be given the same relative age. However this has problems. Such as, if an animal has become extinct in one area this does not mean it has become extinct in others.

Question 30

How can studying calendars and historical chronologies be of importance?

Answer 30

Until breakthroughs in scientific dating techniques this was one of the most accurate methods. Literate societies in the ancient world often documented certain events, such as the reign of leaders and the Olympic games in Greece. However certain things should be taken into account. Chronologies, such as those of kings may not be complete. They need to be linked in with a current calendar and should have archaeological artefacts to supplement them.

Question 31

What is linguistic dating?

Answer 31

It is using language change as a form of dating technique. If two groups of people speaking the same language are separated then their language will change over time. New words will be invented and others shall fall out of use. After a few hundred years they will be rather different and after a few thousand two completely different languages. 100/200 words are looked at and depending on how many share a common root word should indicate how different these two languages are.