Wiggle matching, also known as ''carbon–14 wiggle-match dating'' (WMD) is a
dating method that uses the non-linear relationship between
14C age and calendar age to match the shape of a series of closely sequentially spaced
14C dates with the
14C calibration curve. A numerical approach to WMD allows one to assess the precision of WMD chronologies. The method has both advantages and limitations for the calibration of individual dates. High-precision chronologies are needed for studies of rapid climate changes.
Andrew Millard refers to wiggle matching as a way of dealing with the flat portion of the carbon 14 calibration graph that is known as the
Hallstatt plateau, named after the
Hallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Western Europe, Western and Central European archaeological culture of the Late Bronze Age Europe, Bronze Age (Hallstatt A, Hallstatt B) from the 12th to 8th centuries BC and Early Iron Age Europe (Hallst ...
period in central Europe with which it coincides.
[Millard, A.R Comment on article by Blackwell and Buck https://projecteuclid.org/download/pdf_1/euclid.ba/1340370546]
References
Dating methodologies in archaeology
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