Dating techniques are procedures used by scientists to determine the age of rocks, fossils, or artifacts. Relative dating methods tell only if one sample is older or younger than another; absolute dating methods provide an approximate date in years.

Why do archaeologists use relative dating and absolute dating?

Relative dating does not offer specific dates, it simply allows to determine if one artifact, fossil, or stratigraphic layer is older than another. Absolute dating methods provide more specific origin dates and time ranges, such as an age range in years.

Why do scientists use different methods of absolute dating?

Because of their unique decay rates, different elements are used for dating different age ranges. For example, the decay of potassium-40 to argon-40 is used to date rocks older than 20,000 years, and the decay of uranium-238 to lead-206 is used for rocks older than 1 million years.

Can a dendrochronology be both relative and absolute dating method?

A scientific date is either absolute (specific to one point in time) or relative (younger or older than something else). Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, provides absolute dates in two different ways: directly, and by calibrating radiocarbon results.

What is the difference between absolute and relative archaeological dating methods?

The main difference between absolute and relative dating is that the absolute dating is a technique to determine the numerical age of a rock or a fossil whereas the relative dating is a technique that determines the relative age.