Firstly, I must apologise if this is a question that's surfaced too many times. I have scoured (Googled, anyway) the net for this sort of basic info, but have failed thus far to find answere to my question, and have hence come here. And the question in, er, question? Ok, I would like to know what methods one would use to roughly 'date' a ruin by sight alone? Are there basic rules that can be applied in order to 'fit' the structure to certain ages or methods of building which can be made obvious upon inspection without digging or carbon dating, or any clue other than a basic few feet of brickwork? I'm thinking of two structures - one being a lime kiln, more or less intact. While I understand these were common in the 18th and 19th centuries, they existed before this, although it must have been in a significantly more basic design? The other is little more than a building outline, no more than a few bricks high. What clues should I look for in the brickwork? Thanks in advance for any basic pointers, guides or links. ~david