Premium
Understanding ‘deep’ time — Advances since Archbishop Ussher?
Author(s) -
MurrayWallace Colin V.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
archaeology in oceania
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1834-4453
pISSN - 0728-4896
DOI - 10.1002/j.1834-4453.1996.tb00360.x
Subject(s) - deep time , interpretation (philosophy) , archbishop , radiocarbon dating , history , archaeology , epistemology , classics , geology , philosophy , paleontology , linguistics
Our comprehension of ‘deep’ time and our approaches to measuring this phenomenon have evolved considerably since the work of Archbishop James Ussher and Rev. John Lightfoot in the 17th century. Early attempts to determine the age of the Earth (that is, the moment of creation) were primarily based on the literal interpretation of Scriptures. With the emergence of geology as a formal academic discipline, scholars began to use qualitative evidence to argue for an older Earth. Today, measurement of ‘deep’ time is based on numeric dating methods. Refinements to radiocarbon dating highlight the present day nuances of resolving ‘deep’ time. Our present conception of ‘deep’ time is not without its inherent difficulties and often involves gospel acceptance of dates and assumptions about depositional processes.