An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c10.s1.23

v1.c10.s1.23

The principles underlying archaeological dating thus consist of the building up of a sequence of cultures on the basis of stratigraphy and cultural repertoire, typology, analysis of 'evolving structural or ornamental features' (Wheeler, 1954, p. 38) followed by interconnections or 'artefact-associations' and stratigraphical position of archaeological material or remains in relation to dated material to arrive at relative chronology. However the cumulative evidence, taking into consideration all these bases, is to be used for archaeological dating since 'taken alone . . . almost any one of these and comparable criteria may trap the unwary' (Wheeler, 1954, p. 38).