Current-dating, in the context of historical and archaeological research, refers to the practice of ascribing a specific age or time period to an artifact, document, or event based on its observable characteristics, provenance, or contextual information. This process often involves comparing the item to known dating systems, timelines, or established typologies. Unlike absolute dating methods (e.g., radiocarbon dating) that provide numerical ages, current-dating often relies on relative chronology, establishing the sequence of events rather than providing a precise age. It's fundamental for constructing narratives of the past.
Current-dating meaning with examples
- The archaeologist employed current-dating techniques to analyze pottery shards, determining their likely age based on stylistic elements and where they were found in the stratigraphic layers. These techniques helped them build a relative chronology, not a precise year. This dating helped the understanding of the timeline of settlements in the region.
- Using current-dating, the historian analyzed the manuscript's style of script, paper type, and language to estimate its age. This process, along with research on paper manufacture, helped put the script into its broader cultural context, providing a time window of the creation of the book. The book's history became much easier to follow.
- The art historian relied on current-dating principles to identify the stylistic influences in a painting and to relate them to the known artistic periods. By comparing the subject matter with the known history of royalty in the area, the artist's background also became clear. This approach allows the research to build a history of art.
- In paleontology, current-dating techniques involved examining the fossil's type of preservation and the surrounding geological formations. It allows the researcher to provide a timeline for different fossil finds to explain the environment around the organism. It also can provide insights into the age and evolution of species.
- Based on the construction techniques of a building and the surrounding architectural styles found in the area, the architectural historian practiced current-dating to understand which period was related to the building. It also gave valuable information on how the building was constructed with what materials and during what period.