Terminus Post Quem

A Terminus Post Quem is a point in time before which it has been proven that an event must have occurred. If an infilled and undisturbed grave is found and within the filling is a coin dating to 1701 AD then the grave cannot have been infilled prior to that date as the coin would not have existed. The grave therefore has a Terminus PostQuem of 1701 AD.

The opposite concept is known as Terminus Ante Quem.