Absolute dating is the process of determining an age on a specified chronology in archaeology and geology. Some scientists prefer the terms chronometric or calendar dating, as use of the word "absolute" implies an unwarranted certainty of accuracy.
Relative dating<span> is the science of determining the relative order of past events (i.e., the age of an object in comparison to another), without necessarily determining their </span>absolute age<span>, (i.e. estimated age). In geology, </span>rock<span> or </span>superficial deposits<span>, </span>fossils<span> and </span>lithologies<span> can be used to correlate one </span>stratigraphic column<span> with another. Prior to the discovery of </span>radiometric dating<span> which provided a means of </span>absolute dating<span> in the early 20th century, </span>archaeologists<span> and </span>geologists<span> used this technique to </span>determine ages<span> of materials. Though relative dating can only determine the </span>sequential order<span> in which a series of events occurred, not </span>when<span> they occur, it remains a useful technique especially in radiometric dating. Relative dating by </span>biostratigraphy<span> is the preferred method in </span>paleontology<span>, and is in some respects more accurate (Stanley, 167–69). The </span>Law of Superposition<span>, which states that older layers will be deeper in a site than more recent layers, was the summary outcome of 'relative dating' as observed in geology from the 17th century to the early 20th century.</span>
