BC Full Form

BC full form is Before Christ and is a term used to denote the period before Jesus Christ was born according to the Gregorian and Julian calendar. Historical events can be identified with the abbreviations of BC and AD, the latter stands for Anno Domini.

What is the Full form of BC?

The full form of BC is Before Christ. Christian Calendars have been designed based on the birth of Jesus Christ, so any year that existed before Christ is labelled with BC for example 500 BC means 500 years before Christ's birth. Well, as the term sounds religious, it often becomes controversial and unacceptable to the secular clan. This religious aspect encouraged the use of two alternatives which include BCE to replace BC and CE in place of AD.

Be it dating events that are of historical relevance or understanding chronology, BC has been widely adopted by historians over the years. The usage of this term can be dated back to 1615 when the need for counting years was felt. Since then, the abbreviation has found acknowledgement across the globe.

Tracing the Origin of BC

Dionysius, a 6th-century monk is regarded as the pioneer to originate the concept of counting years based on Jesus Christ's birth in 525. He lived in Rome and created a new calendar upon the instruction of the pope. The monk determined the dates and era by relying on the concept that Christ was born in 753 AUC(ab urbe condita), it was actually the year when Rome formed.

His system of denoting an era became popular in Europe which even found its use by Bede in England during 1731. In 1422, the use of BC was widely accepted in Portugal. If we relate the terms used in the modern era then we may spot them in works of archaeology, history and education.

Common Uses of BC across Ages

As already mentioned, Before Christ (BC full form) is used for denoting years based on its occurrence before or after the birth of Christ, so generally historians adopt it when mentioning a historical event. One of its common uses relates to scientific research papers whereby events are farmed and ranged in a chronology by using BC and AD. 

Besides representing events of the past, BC finds its application in calendars, textbooks and even news articles. Find its other applications below:

• As Christ's birth is taken into account, hence BC is often used for studying the historical background of Christianity. It enables people to gain adequate insight into the events that happened before and after the birth of Christ.
• To understand the chronology of religious events mentioned in the Bible, BC plays a vital role. One can easily distinguish events that occurred before Christ and those afterwards.
• Archaeologists utilise before Christ or anno domini when conducting carbon dating. It helps them get a reference point of the historical time of any specific artefact or finding.

Well, it can be said that BC is a designation adopted widely across the globe by theologians, archaeologists, historians and many more for chalking out the events that happened in any era.

Benefits and Loopholes of Using BC

When it comes to denoting any event in the history or present, BC or AD is used worldwide. Since its inception in 525 by a Roman monk, the abbreviations have found a stable place in the system for calendar creation and setting up the chronology of past events. Let's explore some of the benefits and pitfalls of adopting BC, full form which is before Christ.

Benefits:

• It has been recognised as a neutral and convenient system of dating which allows us to infer contexts of any religious, cultural or historical events from the past.
• BC's system of determining time marks a clear distinction between the event that occurred before the birth of Christ and those which happened after Christ's birth.
• One of the best parts of BC denotation is the system is not influenced by any religious belief rather the system relies on archaeological evidence.
• A comparative study in history, as well as anthropology, can be conducted with the help of counting the years based on the BC and AD systems. 
• Compared to the period which decided dates based on the king's reigns, the BC/BCE system provides better accuracy and precision.

Pitfalls:

• The use of BC brings forth religious connotations which might create confusion among non-christian people as the system is completely based on Jesus Christ's birth.
• Years in the Before Christ (BC full form) system are counted in a decreasing order which means 1 BC is after 1AD which often leads to a lot of misunderstandings and confusions.
• Besides BC/BCE being an accurate dating system, however, its usage at times requires proper context from historians.
• This dating system can hurt the religious sentiments of people who are not followers of Christianity.

Popular Evidence of BC

Many people including some historians have differing opinions in representing the period by taking Christ's birth as a reference. If you are too confused about whether it's an accurate way to calculate years and date historical events then explore the evidence that supports the use of BC, the full form of which is before Christ.

• Geological and paleontological proof includes the study of fossils, and rock formation which offer fair ideas about the earth’s formation and development.
• Artistic evidence that takes into account sculptures, and paintings can also help in enabling historians and scientists to confirm the BC dating system.
• Folktales that were disseminated across generations can help in offering inference to past events.
• Astronomical records like cycles or events of relevance in astronomy are another helpful source to prove BC as a valid dating system.

Over the years, before Christ (Bc full form) has found its place in the list of accurate dating systems despite criticism from secular folks.