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Rock is divided into layers (strata). Each stratum (layer) is different from the other, containing differences between them, and this is essential to determine what era does each belong to. For example, one strata could be rich in sea life fossils like mollusks and arthropods, thus one could roughly estimate the layer to belong to the Middle Cambrian period. A stratum rich in leaf and plant fossils, on the other hand, would suggest it to belong to the Devonian period. There's a science that studies strata, and that's stratigraphy. I am obviously explaining this in a very simple way, as there are many other factors to consider, but this is the essential.

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