ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈāshən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Latin seri es + English -ation
1. : formation, arrangement, succession, or position in a series or orderly sequence
2. : a method of determining a chronology (as for archaeological material) by a detailed study of a particular style or type (as of potsherds) that reveals an increase or decrease in the popularity of the style giving a tentative scale from early to late