Two wall segments bond when the interface between the building materials of the segments (e.g. in the East Field at Isthmia these are usually rough cut stones) interlace or interlock. This is often when at least one stone from each wall segment overlies another stone from the other wall segment. This indicates that the wall segments are contemporary.
Two wall segments abut when there is a clear vertical seam running between the building materials of the segments; in other words the stones do not interlace. This is easier to recognise if the wall segments are of different building materials. Abutting walls indicate that the two wall segments are not contemporary. If it can be determined that wall segment A abuts (or was built up next to) wall segment B, then wall segment B precedes A in construction sequence.
A wall segment is cut by another wall segment if any part of the former wall has been removed to accommodate the latter. Typically, cutting takes two forms. In the first a pre-existing wall has a channel cut vertically into it that is the same width as the new wall. This new wall is built into the channel. This construction technique is referred to as semibonding (Dobbins 1994, 638) but was not used in the architecture of the East Field. In the second, an entire section of a wall is removed, creating a gap in the wall through which a new wall is constructed. This latter technique is called intercutting and structurally weakens the earlier wall, so it is usually only employed when building through the foundation of a destroyed or levelled former wall. In both processes, the cut wall is the earlier wall.
One wall segment overlies another if there is a horizontal seam between it and another segment and if one wall segment (C) can be seen to have been built on top of another wall segment (D). This is similar to bonding, but because of the 'law of superposition', the wall on top, WS_C (the overlying wall), must be of a later construction date, making the bottom wall WS_D (the underlying wall), earlier.