History I / Stratigraphy and Relative Dating
Practice question · Sort into groups

Each observation gives a terminus post quem or a terminus ante quem for the wall. Sort them.

Groups: TPQ (wall is no earlier than…) · TAQ (wall is no later than…)

Hints
  1. Material inside or beneath pushes the date later.
  2. Material sealing the ruins pulls the ceiling earlier.
Show the answer

TPQ (wall is no earlier than…): A 350 CE coin sealed in the wall’s foundation trench, Pottery of the 4th century mixed into the wall’s mortar, A timber felled in 380 CE reused in the wall’s base

TAQ (wall is no later than…): The wall is buried beneath a datable 600 CE destruction layer, A 550 CE grave is cut down through the wall’s ruins, A 500 CE floor runs over the wall’s demolished stub

Why

Everything inside or beneath the wall pushes its date later (TPQ); everything sealing or cutting its ruins pulls the ceiling earlier (TAQ). Between the two termini lives the wall.

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