There are several ways to determine the age of archaeological features and artifacts. If an artifact bears an inscription, date, sexagenary cycle, or other written information, its absolute age may be identified directly. In other cases, the age or period of archaeological features and artifacts can be estimated based on their form, style, material, production technique, and surrounding context.

Relative dating, a traditional method in archaeology, estimates the approximate age of an artifact or site by comparing its form, pattern, material, and production technique with other known examples. However, this method involves a degree of subjectivity, which makes absolute dating necessary in many cases.

Absolute dating uses scientific methods to determine the age of an object or site more precisely. It is particularly important for dating remains from the Paleolithic or Neolithic periods.

Common dating methods include radiocarbon dating for organic materials such as bones and charcoal, thermoluminescence dating for inorganic materials such as byproducts of roof tiles and earthenware production, and dendrochronology, which uses annual tree rings to determine age.