noun
relative age
Technical term used in archaeology, geology, and related fields to describe the age of an object or stratum relative to another, rather than in absolute years. Often contrasted with 絶対年代 (absolute age).
See also: 絶対年代
この地層の相対年代は、上の層より古いことが分かる。
The relative age of this stratum can be seen to be older than the layer above it.
考古学では、遺物の相対年代を層位学で推定する。
In archaeology, the relative age of artifacts is estimated through stratigraphy.