Course Description
Archaeology is an historical discipline and therefore the timing of events is essential for understanding the archaeological record. The course will present the different approaches for determining chronology: the relative approach based on changes in ceramic and tool shapes, and absolute chronology based on various trapped charge and radioactive dating methods. The focus will be on radiocarbon dating and the integration of the field, the lab and the measurements. A field trip to Jerusalem and its environments will demonstrate “real” archaeological problems in chronology. Current and future research projects will be discussed. Each afternoon participants will carry out “hands-on” experiments in 3 different topics related to absolute dating.
Day 1
Lecture 1: Introduction – division of time in the archaeological record
Lecture 2: The relative chronology: basis, assumptions and significance
Laboratory:
Day 2
Lecture 3: Absolute chronology methods
Lecture 4: Radiocarbon dating: theory and practice
Laboratory
Day 3:
Lecture 5: Tree rings, dendrochronology and climate change
Lecture 6: Case studies in current chronological research. Introduction to field trip.
Laboratory
Day 4
Excursion to Jerusalem: Chronological Research in the Field
Day 5
Lecture 7: Dating transitions between different periods
Lecture 8: Research in chronology: present and future
Laboratory
Laboratories: 3 groups of 5 rotate. Each afternoon they participate in a different lab.
Laboratory 1: Wood, tree rings and seeds (charring – oven experiments)
Laboratory 2: Bones, teeth and shells (collagen extraction, enamel preservation)
Laboratory 3: Dating plaster, wood ash and phytoliths