Chronology in Iron Age Europe: Current approaches and challenges

This chapter begins by examining how understandings of the duration of the European Iron Age vary and the factors shaping these perceptions, from the date at which iron was adopted, to the divergent trajectories of different regions consequent on the rise of Greece and Rome. An array of chronological schemes and terminologies have developed across Europe, not always compatible with one another. Many periodizations, including the Hallstatt–La Tène system of western and central Europe, are grounded in cultural historical models elaborated over a century ago from basic typological and stratigraphic principles. The chapter examines the methods used to construct relative and absolute chronologies for the Iron Age, from historical cross-dating to modern scientific techniques, and reviews their strengths and weaknesses. Finally it explores how the chronological precision made possible by the increasingly widespread adoption of Bayesian approaches is fast transforming how we study the period.