Michelangelo began work on the Sistine ceiling in May of 1508 and finished in October of 1512. The sequence in which he executed the various parts of the main painting is generally agreed upon; some debate exists over the chronology of the lunettes and the spandrels. This study of the absolute dating of the parts uses old documents referring to the type of scaffolding used at a given period and the relation of his fees to his other money. The artist's own design was used for the scaffolding. -- AATA