Because deposits or artifacts will reveal change in style or frequency over time, archeologists must use other dating methods (usually absolute) to determine which end of the seriation is earlier and which is later.

What is dating techniques in archaeology?

There are two main categories of dating methods in archaeology: indirect or relative dating and absolute dating. Relative dating includes methods that rely on the analysis of comparative data or the context (eg, geological, regional, cultural) in which the object one wishes to date is found.