Geochronology

The study of earth history by correlating archaeological events to the timing and sequencing of geological events. Specifically, it is the dating of archaeological data in association with a geological deposit or formation, such as the dating of Pleistocene human remains in the context of glacial advances and retreats. The term is applied to all absolute and relative dating methods that involve the earth's physical changes, like radiocarbon dating, dendrochronology, archaeomagnetism, fluorine testing, obsidian dating, potassium-argon dating, thermoluminescence, and varve dating.

A geologically based chronology, into which archaeological events can be fitted. For example, Quaternary chronologies form the basis of Palaeolithic archaeology (see Tables 5-7, pages 418-20). Late Tertiary chronologies give a framework to hominid evolution. Geological chronologies are based on the stratigraphy of deposits in a given area, supported by independent dating methods such as radiocarbon, ARGON. Such chronologies should not be applied outside the area for which they were developed.