Tarihleme

Tarihleme is a Turkish term that denotes the process of dating events, objects, or phenomena and placing them within a chronological framework. The word combines “tarih” (history, date) with the suffix “-leme,” indicating an action or process. In scholarly use, tarihleme refers to determining when something occurred or existed, and to assigning it to a specific time period or date range.

In archaeology, tarihleme is a core methodological activity. It involves both relative dating, which establishes the sequence of events without exact dates (for example through stratigraphy or typology of artifacts), and absolute dating, which aims to determine approximate calendar dates (such as radiocarbon dating, dendrochronology, thermoluminescence, or uranium-series dating). Tarihleme in archaeology often requires integrating material evidence with historical records and cultural context to build a coherent chronological framework for sites, layers, or artifacts.

In historiography and archival studies, tarihleme also encompasses dating events, documents, inscriptions, and calendars. Researchers cross-check textual sources against physical evidence, synchronize different calendar systems, and calibrate dates to align with established chronicles. Uncertainty is common, and dates are frequently expressed as ranges or with error margins. Biases in sources, calibration limits, and preservation conditions can influence outcomes.

The practice of tarihleme underpins historical interpretation, enabling comparisons across regions and eras, tracing cultural development, and situating contemporary phenomena within longer trajectories. Advances in scientific dating techniques and digital dating databases continue to refine precision and broaden the scope of what can be dated reliably.