Wiggle matching

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.^[1] 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 period in central Europe that it coincides with.^[2]