What calendar(s) did people use before Christ? And how could AD historians convert those dates to what we call today BC dates?

by -LittleMissSunshine
WelfOnTheShelf

We get questions like this a lot! I should keep track of answers by other people, since I know I've seen posts about Islamic and Hebrew calendars, and various ancient Roman and Persian ways of counting years...but for now, apparently I've written a lot about this too, and I have a list of a few of my own previous answers at least:

Greek calendars using the Olympic games as a reference point.

By the Romans reckoning, what year was Caesar assassinated?

Did the Eastern Roman Empire date by Anno Domini or by Ab Urbe Condita?

Wikipedia states that pharaoh Thutmose III reigned from 24 April 1479 BC to 11 March 1425 BC. How the $@#! do we know this with such precision?!?