On the history of the early meteoritic bombardment of the Moon: Was there a terminal lunar cataclysm?

•Statistics of 269 K–Ar datings of lunar highland returned samples are reviewed.•These are compared against 94 datings of meteoritic highland rocks from 21 localities.•Cumulative effect of impact gardening on presence of melt at surface is modelled.•Combined modelling and analysis contradicts idea of a short terminal cataclysm.