A review is presented of some recent developments in the dating of teeth, bone, and shell. It is argued that there are a number of obstacles to the accurate estimation of numerical ages. Archaeologists should be less obsessed with numerical dating since there are considerable advantages in relative dating as an alternative strategy. Examples are drawn from South Africa, Western Victoria, and Tasmania. Relative dating is particularly appropriate where multiple techniques can be applied to date depositional events that recur at discrete time intervals. -- AATA