Seriation
/ˌsɪəriˈeɪʃən/noun
The arrangement of objects or data into a meaningful sequence or series.
Did you know?Archaeologists use seriation to date artifacts by tracking changing styles, making sequences of objects function like a kind of historical divination.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ser-
“To join, bind, or link together; the reconstructed root behind later Latin words for connected sequences.”
Classical Latin
Latin
serere
“To join, connect, or arrange in a row.”
Classical Latin
Latin
series
“A row, chain, succession, or connected sequence.”
19th Century
French
sériation
“The act of arranging in a series; a formation based on sequence.”
Late 19th Century
English
seriation
“The arrangement of things into a series, especially for classification or chronological study.”
Modern English
English
seriation
“A method of ordering artifacts, data, or objects according to sequence, style, or changing frequency.”
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