Comparing and contrasting two methods used by archeologists to date their materials
Archeologists use various dating techniques to determine the age of materials available in the past. Archeologists use both natural and electromagnetic methods to date their materials. In the natural dating method, the archeologist uses natural observations such as the arrangement of objects in layers, or availability of deposits in some objects and absence of the same on others to determine the time of existence of the artifact. Additionally, archeologists refer to the history of an object to determine subsequent dates of other objects related to the historical one (Lamoureux, 2009). The electromagnetic dating method uses variations in the earth's magnetic field both horizontally and vertically to date an object based on the amount of iron content. The method uses electromagnetic gadgets to date objects. The similarity between the two methods is their ability to give accurate dates of artifacts based on historical findings. On the other hand, the two methods differ on the technique used. The natural method does not need the help of any machine or artificial gadget while the electromagnetic method uses electronically manufactured gadgets to determine the time (Lamoureux, 2009).
How the “Time Team” archeologists dated the site they were investigating
Archeologists in the “Time Team” video used natural dating technique to date temples. The process involved walking through various places looking for evidence of temples, which took them more than 15 years to find evidence (Zaaijer, 2012).
How archeologists think about time differently than historians
However related history and archeology are, the two disciplines think differently about time. All historical analyzes are based on time and any object whose time cannot be traced cannot be published as historical evidence. On the contrary, archeologists think critically by admitting information with no evidence. According to Bailey (2005), archeologists define the difference between the past, present, and the future. The past and the future define the concept of time and are used by archeologists to analyze phenomena appearing beyond individuals' powers of observation. Historians never assume the presence of an event and any activity appearing in the past must be correctly dated. Archeologists use subsequent evidence to date their findings. The idea of searching for evidence at different places and subsequent levels encourages them to continue with their study as they look for more information to analyze and date an artifact.
References
Bailey, G. (2005). The concept of time in Archeology: The key concept (ed. Renfrew and Bahn,
2005). London: Routledge.
Lamoureux, M. G. (2009). The various techniques available to archeologists. Retrieved
Zaaijer, R. (2016, May 14). Time Team S16-E06 The Trouble with Temples: Friar's Wash,
Hertfordshire. [Video File]. Retrieved February 4, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLcxwPeeohk
