Stratigraphy is the oldest of the relative dating methods that archaeologists use to date things. Stratigraphy is based on the law of superposition--like a layer cake, the lowest layers must have been formed first.

What is stratigraphy dating used for?

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.

How is stratigraphy used in Archaeology?

Stratigraphy is the study of layered materials (strata) that were deposited over time. 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 is the stratigraphy used?

With the vertical (time) dimension, stratigraphy is often used as a relative dating technique to assess the temporal sequence of artefact deposition Law of Superposition. Law of Superposition: geological layers, or strata, are overlain by progressively younger layers.