Used to think context dating was overrated until I saw a dig report from 2023

I always assumed radiocarbon was the gold standard for everything, but a colleague showed me how mixed layers from a Roman site in York made C14 useless. Their careful pottery sequence nailed the timeline way better than any lab test could. Has anyone else had a site where old-school stratigraphy saved the day?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_grant3415d ago

used to think context dating was overrated" - man, it's just pottery and dirt, not brain surgery. People act like matching some broken cups to a timeline is some deep mystery or something.

roberts9515d ago

Nah, context dating is actually harder than it looks.

stellanelson15d ago

Well, I've definitely confused a medieval jug handle with a 19th century drain pipe before, so I can't say it's always as easy as the books make it look. But you're right, there is a lot of hype around something that mostly involves staring at broken stuff and guessing.