List of time periods

The categorisation of the past into discrete, quantified named blocks of time is called periodization.^[1] This is a list of such named time periods as defined in various fields of study.

Further information: List of archaeological periods

These can be divided broadly into prehistorical periods and historical periods (when written records began to be kept).

In archaeology and anthropology, prehistory is subdivided into the three-age system, this list includes the use of the three-age system as well as a number of various designation used in reference to sub-ages within the traditional three.

The dates for each age can vary by region. On the geologic time scale, the Holocene epoch starts at the end of the last glacial period of the current ice age (c. 10,000 BC) and continues to the present. The beginning of the Mesolithic is usually considered to correspond to the beginning of the Holocene epoch.

Precambrian

Phanerozoic

– Period prior to humans. 4.6 billion to 3 million years ago. (See "prehistoric periods" for more detail into this.)

Geologic Time

Primatomorphid Era – Period prior to the existence of

Primatomorpha

Simian Era – Period prior to the existence of

Simiiformes

Hominoid Era – Period prior to the existence of

Hominoidea

Hominid Era

Hominidae

Homininaeid Era – Period prior to the existence of

Homininae

Homininid Era – Period prior to the existence of

Hominini

Prehistory

Ancient history

Middle Ages

Modern history

(HAASMHs)

Hominids archaeologically and anatomically similar or identical to modern humans

(AMHs)

Anatomically modern humans

(TMHs)

Technologically modern humans

Prehistory

Ancient history

Late Middle Ages

Early modern history

Modern history

Central America (200–1519)

Classic and Postclassic eras

Early Intermediate, Middle Horizon, Late Intermediate, Late Horizon

Huari

Pre-Columbian America

Colonial America

History of Indigenous Australians (between 65,000 and 50,000 BC – 1788 AD)

Ancient Australia

European maritime exploration of Australia (1606–1802)

Age of Discovery

(1788–1868)

Convict era

(1837–1901)

Victorian era

(1890–1918)

Federation era

(1939–1945)

World War II

(1952–2022)

Second Elizabethan era

(Indonesia, 3rd – 14th centuries), Tarumanagara (358–723), Sailendra (8th and 9th centuries), Kingdom of Sunda (669–1579), Kingdom of Mataram (752–1045), Kediri (1045–1221), Singhasari (1222–1292), Majapahit (1293–1500)

Srivijaya

Maritime Southeast Asia

Peninsular Southeast Asia

(2852–2070 BC)

Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

Bronze Age China prechaic china

earliest dynastic china

Archaic China archaicic china

divistates of China

Antiquity mid dynastic periods

Medieval China

Mongol China

Late Dynastic Period

Modern China

Contemporary China

Post-Contemporary China

(Mongolia, 220 BC – AD 200)

Xiongnu

Antiquity

Medieval Mongolia

Imperial Mongolia

Modern Mongolia

or Archaic Period (two dynasties) (3150 BC – 2686 BC)

Early Dynastic Period

(four dynasties) (2686 BC – 2181 BC)

Old Kingdom

(four dynasties) (2181 BC – 2055 BC)

First Intermediate Period

(three dynasties) (2055 BC – 1650 BC)

Middle Kingdom

(four dynasties) (1650 BC – 1550 BC)

Second Intermediate Period

(three dynasties) (1550 BC – 1069 BC)

New Kingdom

(five dynasties) (1069 BC – 664 BC)

Third Intermediate Period

Prehistoric Egypt (pre-3150 BC) Dynastic Period

Antiquity

Islamic Egypt

Medieval Egypt

Modern Egypt

Contemporary Egypt

Bronze Age

Iron Age

Middle Ages

Early modern period

Long nineteenth century

First

Interwar Britain

(1945–1991)

Cold War

(1991–present)

Post-Cold War

(550 –330 BC)

Achaemenid Empire

(330 –312 BC):

Greek occupation of Persia

(312 – 63 BC)

Seleucid Empire

(247 BC – 224 AD)

Parthian Empire

(224 – 651 AD)

Sassanid Empire

Prehistoric Iran

Ancient age:

Medieval age:

Modern age:

South Asian Stone Age

South Asian Bronze Age

South Asian Iron Age

Classical Age in India

Medieval Age in India

Modern Age in India

Mughal empire

(10,501 BC – 400 BC)

Jōmon period

(450 BC – 250 AD)

Yayoi period

(250–600)

Kofun period

Archaic Japan

Feudal Japan

Samurai Japan

Modern Japan

Contemporary Japan

Archaic Period

Mesopotamia

Samarra culture

Imperial Period

Islamic Period

Prehistoric Libya (pre-600 BC)

Prehistoric Libya

Early Libya

Modern Libya

(1500 BC- 400 BC)

Olmecs

(3000 BC – 600 AD)

Mayans

(1 AD - 500 AD)

Teotihuacan

(800 AD - 1000 AD)

Toltecs

(1000 AD – 1512 AD)

Aztecs

Ancient and Pre-Columbian Mexico

Colonial Mexico

Independence Era

Liberal Mexico

Modern Mexico

Lithic stage

Archaic stage

Formative stage

Classic stage

Post-Classic stage

Pre-Colonial era

Thirteen British Colonies (1607–1775)

United Colonies (1775-1781)

Confederation period (1781-1789)

First Party System (1789–1824)

Second Party System (1824–1856)

Third Party System (1856–1896)

Fourth Party System (1896–1932)

Fifth Party System (1932–1980)

Sixth Party System (1980–present)

Art of Europe

Geologic time scale

with link directory.

List of fossil sites

around the world.

List of timelines

shows all history on one page in ten lines.

Logarithmic timeline

Orders of magnitude (time)

for a discussion of the tendency to try to fit history into non-overlapping periods.

Periodization

Time