The dating of archaeological artifacts and sites is one of the most important aspects of the field, and one of the most difficult. Fortunately, thanks to scientific advances in a number of fields, scientific dating continues to improve. Editor Seren Griffiths declares that the discovery of carbon-14 dating in the 1950s caused a restart in the entire field because it provided an absolute framework independent of the traditional relative dating methods.
This volume examines not only carbon-14 dating, but the other new techniques that have revolutionized archaeology including dendrochronology (tree-ring dating), luminescence, archaeomagnetic, and eco-factual chronologies. Each of these dating developments is explained in detail beginning with the history and development of each method. The advantages and problems of each dating technique are outlined.
This study provides an easily understood guide to the latest in scientific dating technology. For the archaeologist it is a guide to which methods may be appropriate for a particular situation. For the layman, it clearly explains the critical dating techniques that can be technically challenging. It also examines the history of scientific dating and its impact around the world – from Egypt to Peru.
– by Mark Michel