Archaeology question : interpreting archeological dates

[garrelt]

Theo

This is for us at work an every day question.
How old is a certain object, or even to which building belongs which individual posthole.
If an object ,let's say a piece of pottery , is found in a "coupe" the archaeologist in the field can roughly say which period it is.
But in the office he/she has to look in books to find an "exact" dating of the object, when there is no easy datable object like a coin found in the same context.
Sometimes C14 dating and Dendrochronology, are used to help with dating an object.

Another question could be : How exact is the dating method used to date a certain object.
And as stated by Robert, and others replying on this post, a certain object could be in use over a very long period.

Example1:
A sword found in the Netherlands in Cuijck has been dated, by the style of incrusation on the crossguard , second half 6th century AD.
Publication: Berichten van de Rijksdienst voor Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek.
Title: Vroeg Middeleeuwse wapens uit Nederlandse verzamelingen.
Jaargang 12-13, 1962-1963 page 170 by J.Ypey
But the blade has a much older form and shape, more like a Late Roman Spatha blade like some from Nydam and Evebo.

Example2:
A few years ago I spoke with the Curator of the ceramics museum ( http://www.toepfereimuseum.org/ ) in Raeren (Belgium) about "appliques" (medallions) on pottery.
This because during an excavation I found a pot with an applique which bore the date of 1572.
I asked him what that date meant.
He told me that that was the year of manufacturing of that pot , and that the moulds for these appliques could be used and have been used over a longer period.
From decades to century's, until they went out of fashion.
One thing is for sure: this certain pot is not older than 1572, but when it came in the ground is a different question.
We know that in that period the city of Eindhoven was besieged by the "Spanish" army's during the 80 year war, the also called Flandern war.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

This is Anglo-Saxon, but always reminds me of the earlier swords you are on about.

[Medicus matt]

This is Anglo-Saxon, but always reminds me of the earlier swords you are on about.

Ummmm...sorry GJC, but that's 9th century Scandinavian, not A-S, found at Kildonnan on Eigg. Lovely thing, very typical in form of Viking sword furniture of the period.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I believe you, but it still reminds me of these earlier swords, I was thinking of the
chapes in the museum, which are anglosaxon. Getting confused relying on memory! :oops:
Thanks for the correction.