Periods

Mesolithic

c.6,000-4,000 BC

Meso/Neolithic

Mesolithic to Neolithic

Neolithic

covers the whole neolithic period 4,000-2,000 BC

Early Neo

covers the first stage of the Neolithic period 4,000-3,000

Late Neo

covers the latter stage of the Neolithic period 3000-2000

Neo/EBA

covers the phase of transition from the neolithic to the Bronze Age

Bronze Age

covers the whole of the bronze age period 2,000-500 BC

EBA

early bronze age  2,000-1,500 BC

MBA

Middle Bronze Age 1,500-1000 BC  

LBA

Late Bronze Age 1,000-500 BC

LBA/IA

covers the phase of transition from Bronze age to Iron Age c.1,200-400 BC

Iron Age

covers the Iron age period 500 BC-500 AD

PREHIST

covers the whole prehistoric period & will always precede a more specific designation

E.CHRIST

covers the Early Christian period - 500-1,100 AD

MED

covers the whole medieval period - 1,000 AD-1600 AD & is occasionally followed by a more specific phase

LATE-MED

cover the later Medieval period, 1400-1600 AD

POST-MED

covers the Plantation period - C17th AD

MODERN

applied to suspected monuments which turn out to be non-antiquities

UNCERTAIN

used when the date of a site is not known, or is only suspected

C12TH-C20TH

used when the specific date of a site is known, such as the construction date of a church or castle.

MED/L.MED

covers sites which are known to be medieval, but their specific date is not known

E.C/MED

covers the transition between the Early Christian & Medieval periods & is mostly applied to ecclesiastical sites

C18TH/C19TH

as with 'Modern' used for suspected monuments which turn out to be non-antiquities.