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Both BC and BCE are placed after the year and are written in uppercase. They may be written with or without periods.
BC or B.C. means "Before Christ"—and therefore, before the year 0 (which was thought to be the year in which Christ was born, according to early but inaccurate calculations).
BCE or B.C.E. means "Before the Christian Era" or "Before the Common Era," with the latter being a more modern and inclusive version.
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