"BP" in dating stands for "Before Present". It's a time scale primarily used in archaeology, geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events occurred. It's essentially the number of years that have passed since a designated "present" date, which is conventionally set as January 1, 1950.
Why use BP?
- Consistency: It eliminates the need to adjust dates annually, unlike BC/AD or BCE/CE systems.
- Radiocarbon Dating: BP aligns with radiocarbon dating, which measures the decay of carbon-14 in organic materials to determine their age.
Examples:
- An artifact dated 2,500 BP would mean it's from the year 2,500 years before January 1, 1950, which is roughly 4,450 BCE.
- A fossil found to be 10,000 BP would indicate it is from 10,000 years before 1950, or approximately 8,050 BCE.
