Hello all,

I am curious what your museum uses as guidelines or standards for dates circa? 

Do you use a standard deviation for all circa dates (plus or minus 10 years for example) or does the deviation change depending on how recent the dates are (20th century is plus or minus 5 years, 19th century plus or minus 10 years, etc.) 
This deviation would then be used to create begin and end dates for an object. For example we might enter into our collections management database for an object that is c. 1810 a start date of 1805 and an end date of 1815. 

What do you use? Is there a national or international standard? Can you point me to some reference material on the subject? I have done some internet research and asked around here. Now I want to see what the field says on the topic.

Thanks,

Treden Wagoner



Treden Wagoner
Coordinator of Education Technology Programs
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 Third Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404
612-870-3189
Toll free 888-642-2787 extension 3189
Fax 612-870-3004
Email [log in to unmask]
http://www.artsMIA.org
http://www.ArtsConnectEd.org

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