Relative dating methods

Question 1

List the 5 methods of relative dating?

Answer 1

Stratigraphy
typology
fluorine dating 
cross dating
paleontological dating

Question 2

What is stratigraphy?

Answer 2

-the study of layers of archaeological deposits over the years (sediment build up)
Deeper=older
-not evenly built up
-when individual layer is given relative dating, objects can be dated to the layer
- dirt can also be sieved to find small artefacts

Question 3

What can stratigraphy provide? What happens to the lowest artefact of strata?

Answer 3

a chronological sequence

get destroyed/damaged from the weight of the earth

Question 4

Why are sediments built up/give these layers of different time periods?

Answer 4

people build on top after city abandoned or destroyed by war = layers

Question 5

What is typology?

Answer 5

Chronological ordering of artefacts of similar types eg pottery.
Sequence made on observation that type and styles develop over time from simple to the more complex

Question 6

How is typology classified?

Answer 6

types based on shapes, decoration and material used

Question 7

What does typology reveal?

Answer 7

forms a sequence of objects similar, show development and change in form.

Question 8

What is commonly used in typology to help with dating?

Answer 8

pottery
used when artefacts with unknown date found in strata with a pottery that can be relatively dated and when similar types of pottery seen in strata

Question 9

What is fluorine dating and used for? Why relative date?

Answer 9

dating bones
analysis of fluorine and nitrogen in bones to establish relative date.
it is relative as bone can be affected by temp and chemical composition of soil

Question 10

Nitrogen and fluorine (fluorine dating)

Answer 10

Nitrogen:
4% in bone declines after burial at a slow uniform rate, find date by how mush nitrogen content declined
Fluorine:
bone absorbs fluorine from damp soils, not at fixed rate

Question 11

What is cross dating?

Answer 11

types of artefacts found in undated site will correspond in age to another found at site already give date eg sword

Question 12

What is paleontological study?

Answer 12

• based on history of animal life
• palaeontologists know when certain species appeared/extinct.
• bones found at site can give relative date
• used for early periods of earths history