You searched for: “stratigraphy
stratigraphy
1. The interpretation of the vertical layering in an archeological site on a geological deposit that allows scientists to relatively date the artifacts or fossils in the layers (strata).
2. The study of layers, or strata, in the earth.

Borrowed from geology, stratigraphy assumes that older layers are generally found on the bottom. This means that artifacts found in the upper layers of an excavation are likely to be younger than those in the lower layers.

This entry is located in the following unit: Archeology, Archaeology (page 7)