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Introduction
A dating convention is used that provides a full date with a set number of codes, in three categories, following each other in a fixed sequence:
- season – either one capital letter, with or without hyphen, or two capital letters
- month – either one number or one lower case letter
- day – two numbers.
The full list follows for each of the three categories.
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1. Season code
The lower case letters (a, b,c, etc.) refer to study seasons.
DOG refers to the Deutsche Orient-Gesellashaft.
season code | calendar year | season number | old season number | DOG season
| 4 | 1984 | 1 | |
| | 5 | 1985 | 2 | |
| | 6 | 1986 | 3 | |
| | 7 | 1987 | 4 | |
| | 8 | 1988 | 5 | |
| | 9 | 1989 | 5a | |
| | A | 1990 | 6 | |
| | B | 1991 | 6a | 60 |
| | C | 1992 | 7 | |
| | D | 1993 | 8 | |
| | E | 1994 | 8a | 61 |
| | F | 1995 | 8b | 62 |
| | G | 1996 | 9 | |
| | H | 1997 | 10 | |
| | I | 1998 | 11 | | 1
| | J | 1999 | 12 | | 2
| | K | 2000 | 13 | | 3
| | L | 2001 | 14 | | 4
| | M | 2002 | 15 | |
| | N | 2003 | 16 | |
| | O | 2004 | 17 | |
| | P | 2005 | 18 | |
| | Q | 2006 | 19 | |
| | R | 2007 | 20 | |
| | S | 2008 | 21 | |
| | T | 2009 | 22 | |
| | U | 2010 | 23 | |
| | V | 2011 | 23a | 63 |
| | W | 2012 | 23b | 64 |
| | X | 2013 | 23c | 65 |
| | Y | 2014 | 23d | 66 |
| | Z | 2015 | 23e | 67 |
| | ZA | 2016 | 23f | 68 |
| | ZB | 2017 | 23g | 69 |
| | ZB | 2018 | 23h | 70 |
| | ZB | 2019 | 23i | 71 |
| | ZE | 2020 | 23j | 72 |
| | ZF | 2021 | 23k | 73 |
| | ZG | 2022 | 23l | 74 |
| | ZH | 2023 | 23m | 75 |
| | ZI | 2024 | 23n | 76 |
| | ZJ | 2025 | 23o | 77 |
| |
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2. Month code
| code | name
|
| 1 | January
|
| 2 | February
|
| 3 | March
|
| 4 | April
|
| 5 | May
|
| 6 | June
|
| 7 | July
|
| 8 | August
|
| 9 | September
|
| x | October
|
| y | November
|
| z | December
|
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3. Day code
The day code is the same as the day number, but the first nine numbers are preceded by zero, hence day 1 is written as 01.
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Examples
| code | date
|
| 4601 | June 1, 1984
|
| Gx31 | October 31, 1996
|
| ZG115 | January 15, 2022
|
| ZHz01 | December 1, 2024
|
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Printable version
A PDF with the dating system for each season (of excavation or study) can be downloaded at the following link.
Back to top: Seasons codes