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Explore a range of dating methods:
· Relative dating methods (age determined by comparison to other artefacts in its vicinity) for example; stratigraphy, seriation, morphology, typology
· Absolute dating methods (age determined by scientific testing) foe example; Radiocarbon dating, luminescence, forensic examination, dendrochronology and DNA analysis.
Identify the types of problems that exist with dating methods and evidence. For example; Dating methods = ‘radiocarbon barrier’, loss of evidence due to changing climatic conditions = ‘rising sea levels
Provide a brief overview of archaeological excavation and recording and how this has changed over time.
Dating:
In archaeology we talk about different types of dating, relative and absolute also archaeological and scientific.
Relative dating is the science of determining the relative order of past events (i.e., the age of an object in comparison to another), without necessarily determining their absolute age . Though relative dating can only determine the sequential order in which a series of events occurred, not when they occurred, it remains a useful technique.
Watch this clip and explain the difference between relative and absolute dating.
What is stratigraphic dating?
What is seriation dating?
Absolute dating is the process of determining an age on a specified chronology in archaeology and geology. Some scientists prefer the terms chronometric or calendar dating, as use of the word "absolute" implies an unwarranted certainty of accuracy. Absolute dating provides a numerical age or range in contrast with relative dating which places events in order without any measure of the age between events.
Scientific dating
Scientific dating
This method of dating uses science to date objects and sites from the past such as radiocarbon dating, dendrochronology, and archaeomagnetic and luminescence dating.
Scientific dating includes a range of biological and physical methods for assessing the time when things happened in the past. The best known and most often used techniques are radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating.
Artifacts can be dated absolutely, or with an age or year they are from by using scientific tests. This can be done using artifacts found in the site with known dates. These artifacts are known as diagnostic artifacts. They also can be used to determine the culture the artifacts are from. Artifacts can also be dated using dendrochronology, which uses the annual growth rings in trees to establish an age for artifacts or a variety of other scientific methods such as radio-carbon dating.
Artifacts can also be dated scientifically using radiocarbon dating. This uses the decay of carbon and the ratio of C-12 to C-14 to determine the age of the artifact. It is only effective up to 68,000 years. It is also not very accurate for more recent artifacts. Using all of the information about the artifacts, including context, typology, dating and more, archaeologists can piece together the events and culture of past society.
Write down a basic summary of how scientific dating works.
Thermoluminescence dating.
Pottery can be dated in two ways, either through a scientific test on the pottery known as thermoluminescence which is expensive or through dating style changes over time.
Explain how Thermoluminescence dating works.
Pottery styles changed rapidly in the ancient world as it does today, so they can be easily put in relative order ie this style changed into this one ect . Styles varied from region to region but now days most ancient pottery has been extensively studied and styles can be assigned an absolute date.
The archaeologist Flinders Petrie developed seriation dating when he was working in Abydos in Egypt. This is the most common dating method archaeologists use whilst on excavations to know what time period they are digging because it is cheap and most pottery styles can be dated within a plus or minus of 50 years.
How is pottery dated?
Why do you think so ancient cultures produced pottery?
What don't they have that we do?
What do you think may be the disadvantage of using scientific dating?
You can see Petrie's seriation dating of pottery below.
Here is Petrie's seriation dating.
Can you notice gradual change over time of pottery types
DO NOW:
Research something that has changed over time. For example it might be a teacup, or cars, or phones. Find 5 examples and produce a slide that puts them in correct order.
Write a paragraph that explains the reasons for change and what it shows about society and change that can be observed through example. What does it show about the changing needs to that society?
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