Over the past generation of research, formal chronological modelling of calibrated radiocarbon dates has brought dating that is precise to within the scale of human generations and lifetimes within the grasp of archaeologists everywhere. Effective strategies to obtain such chronologies vary, and are framed within the technical limitations of both radiocarbon dating and statistical approaches. This paper examines the frontiers of what is currently possible, reviews current methodological developments, and examines the effect that these will have on the extent, reliability, and precision of archaeological chronologies. There is no history without dates. Ordering the beads on the string, measuring the gaps between them, and understanding the intensity of past activities enables us not only to frame our narratives but really to configure the plot. Over the next generation of research, archaeology must use these narratives to forge a new place for the discipline within the historical sciences.

Read more about Alex Bayliss work at Historic England.

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