|
The table below presents an extremely simplified view of the chronology of Europe. Because most period definitions are based on technological or typological characteristics, each period may begin and end at different times across Europe. For a table that captures at least some of the detail, take a look at this chronology of the Bronze and early Iron ages, © RGZM. You can still visit the previous (static) version of this Period Index, but the information it contains is now badly out of date...
| Period name |
For example |
Begins (years) |
| Prehistory |
Palaeolithic
Old Stone Age |
lower |
Acheuléen |
- 250,000 |
| middle |
Neanderthals |
| upper |
Crô Magnon, Cave art |
Mesolithic
Middle Stone Age |
early |
|
- 8,000 |
| middle |
|
| late |
|
Neolithic
Young Stone Age |
early |
Linear Band Ceramic |
- 6,000 |
| middle |
|
| late |
|
Eneolithic, Chalcolithic
Final Stone Age, Copper Age |
Transitional |
"Ötzi", the Iceman |
- 3.300 |
| Bronze Age |
early |
|
- 3,000 |
| middle |
|
| late |
| Iron Age |
early |
|
- 1,100 |
| middle |
early Rome, Thracians, Archaic period |
- 600 |
| late |
|
- 150 |
| History |
Classical
|
Hellenistic
Roman
|
|
- 500
|
|
Medieval
|
Early
High
Late
|
Anglo-Saxon · Byzantium · Merovingian · Carolingian · Viking |
+ 400
|
| Recent
|
Post-Medieval
|
17th Century · 18th Century · 19th Century · Modern · 20th Century |
+ 1,500
|
| Future |
|
+ 2000 |
© ARGE 1999
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