chronologia

Chronologia is the study or arrangement of events in time. It derives from Greek chronos ("time") and -logia ("study of"), and is used across disciplines to organize information by temporal order, produce timelines, and compare events across generations and cultures.

In history and archaeology, chronology provides the framework for placing events, cultures, and artifacts within a temporal sequence. Analysts distinguish relative chronology — ordering events without fixed dates — from absolute chronology, which assigns calendar years. Dating methods include radiocarbon dating, dendrochronology, thermoluminescence, and uranium-series dating. Stratigraphy, seriation, and cross-dating with well-dated key items support calibration and reduce uncertainty. Chronology is essential for reconstructing timelines of civilizations, migrations, and technological change.

Calendars and timekeeping underlie chronologies. The development of calendars (solar, lunar, lunisolar) and era systems creates standardized time scales such as the Julian and Gregorian calendars, BCE/CE notation, and modern time zones. Chronology thus connects cultural histories to the physical cadence of time and enables comparative studies across regions and eras.

Outside specialized use, chronologia appears as a Latinized or vernacular form of the term in titles, academic discourse, and reference works on time and dates.