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Relative dating

Provides a relative ordering of material or sites based on the sequence of layering in deposits.

Stratigraphy

Study of the sequential layering of deposits, where lower layers were deposited before upper layers.

Physical correlation

Linking geological layers based on their physical characteristics, like the iridium anomaly found in Mexico and Norway.

Law of faunal succession

Strata containing fossils of the same animals are of the same age, using index fossils.

Absolute dating

Provides a chronological age for an object or site, like radiocarbon dating and potassium-argon dating.

Radiocarbon dating

Compares Carbon-14 atoms to determine the age of organic materials.

Isotopes

Atoms with the same number of protons but different neutrons, like Carbon-14 used in dating.

Half-life

Time taken for half the amount of a radioactive isotope to decay, like Carbon-14's half-life of 5730 years.

Artifact

Objects or materials modified for use by hominids, such as pottery shards or arrowheads.

Excavation techniques

Methods used to uncover archaeological sites, emphasizing the importance of context in archaeology.