Relative Dating Methods Stratigraphy: Assuming that soil layers in a deposit accumulate on top of one another, and that the bottom layers will be older than the top layers, stratigraphy allows archaeologists to construct a relative chronological sequence from the oldest (bottom) to youngest (top) layers.

What is the importance of stratigraphy in Archaeology?

The adoption of stratigraphic principles by archaeologists greatly improved excavation and archaeological dating methods. By digging from the top downward, the archaeologist can trace the buildings and objects on a site back through time using techniques of typology (i.e., the study of how types change in time).

How does fluorine dating work?

Fluorine dating is a method that measures the amount of fluoride absorbed by bones in order to determine their relative age. Fluorine dating relies on the discovery that bone mineral, calcium hydroxyapatite, will absorb fluoride ions if, during burial, it is exposed to groundwater that contains fluoride.