What are Time Periods in History?

Time Periods in History

Teaching your children about time periods in history? Find out how we break down the
past with this Teaching Wiki. From prehistory, to contemporary history.

Time Periods in History

We categorize the past into different time periods. This allows us to break down past
events and gauge a better understanding of world history. For example, different
disciplines have different time periods that focus on different histories. These include
geological, cosmological, anthropological and historical time periods in history.

Teaching your children about historical time periods? Here, we'll be outlining historical
time periods within the three-age system, including pre-history, to eras from the ancient
world, to modern-day. These periods and events are those that are taught as part of the
National Curriculum. One of the best ways to visualise different historical time periods
is by organising them into a timeline. By creating a periods in history timeline, you and
your pupils will be able to clearly see the progression from era to era over time in one
concise summary.

What is the Three-Age-System?

So, the three-age-system divides historical periods before 0AD into three time periods:
the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. This method of periodization is largely
used to categorize the artefacts found throughout history, showing the type of tools
humans were using. Early civilisations and events occur within these three time periods
in history.

Typically, time periods in history include the following:

Prehistory
2.5 million years ago - 5,000 years ago: Prehistory is the period between the
appearance of early humans and the invention of writing systems. Archaeological
discoveries show the evolution of humans, the use of stone tools and early forms of
writing in this large expanse of time.

Prehistory encompasses the Stone Age, the time when early humans began using
stone tools. Take a look at this Teaching Pack, featuring a range of helpful resources
on prehistory and the Stone Age.

Ancient History
6000 BCE - 650 CE: Ancient history is the time period in history between the origins of
human civilization and the fall of ancient empires.

The Bronze Age begins here, around 3000 BC. This marks a movement from humans
using stone tools, to bronze.

Ancient history also falls within the Iron Age, beginning in 1200 BCE, and ends in 600
BCE. Therefore, the Classical Era also falls within this period of history, beginning
around 1000 BCE with the emergence of iron tools. The Classical period mostly refers
to the Mediterranean region, mainly Ancient Greece and Rome.

Ancient civilizations overlap and the dates are approximate estimates, emerging and
developing all around the world.

Here's a list of ancient civilizations that existed in this period:

Mesopotamia - Ancient Sumer (6000 BCE - 1100 BCE). "The cradle of

civilization", it is in Mesopotamia we see the earliest evidence for human
civilization, with the emergence of urban centres. Mesopotamia is modern-
day Iraq.

Ancient Egypt (5000 BCE - 332 BCE). Spanning almost 30 centuries,

Ancient Egypt was one of the greatest ancient civilizations in the
Mediterranean world. Ancient Egypt is divided into different time periods:
Predynastic Period (5000 BCE - 3100 BCE); Archaic Period (3100 BCE - 2686
BCE); Old Kingdom (2686 BCE - 2182 BCE); First Intermediate Period (2181 -
2055 BCE); Middle Kingdom (2055 BCE -1786 BCE); Second Intermediate
Period (1786 - 1567 BCE); New Kingdom (1567 BCE - 1085 BCE); Third
Intermediate Period (1085 BCE - 664 BCE); From the Late Period to
Alexander's Conquest (664 BCE - 332 BCE).

The Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BCE - 1300 BCE). Located in modern-
day Pakistan and Northern India, the Indus Valley was of the world's earliest
civilizations. Here, we see developed urban planning and technical
innovation.

The Shang Dynasty (1600 BCE - 1046 BCE). The earliest dynasty of China,
and the beginning of the Bronze Age in China, the Shang Dynasty saw
developments in maths and military technology.

The Celts (1200 BCE - 12 BCE). A collection of tribes who originated in

Central Europe. Celtic tribes lived across Europe and Britain and shared a
common language, religious beliefs and culture. The Celtic culture is the
most prominent today in Ireland and Great Britain.
 The Zhou Dynasty (1046 BCE - 771 BCE). The longest-lasting dynasty in
China’s history, the Zhou dynasty saw further cultural developments.

Ancient Greece (1000 BCE - 146/323 BCE). Another one of the

Mediterranean world’s greatest civilizations, Ancient Greece saw significant
developments in philosophy, politics and science with the formation of city-
states.

Ancient Rome (753 BCE - 476 CE). With the establishment of the Roman
Empire, this period encompassed most of Europe, northern Africa and
Western Asia. Here we see developments in human civilization, from public
health to architecture, roads and the Julian Calendar.

Find out more about the Ancient World with this collection of teaching resources.

Medieval Period
475 CE - 1500 CE: Also known as the Middle Ages, this time period in history falls
between the fall of the ancient civilizations and the beginning of the Renaissance.

This period marked the end of a centralized European authority but increased mass
migration, development of world religions and the formation of new kingdoms.

Here’s a list of ages within the Medieval period of history:

The Byzantine Empire (395 CE - 1453). After the fall of Rome, this was a
continuation of its empire in the East. The Byzantine Empire became a
leading civilization and its capital, Constantinople, a centre for trade.

The Islamic Golden Age (750 CE - 1300). During the Middle Ages, Islam
grew larger, conquering parts of the Middle East. During the golden age,
Baghdad was the world's largest city and there were impressive cultural and
economic developments.

Anglo-Saxon England (600 CE - 1066). England was divided into various

kingdoms until it was united in 927 CE. The Anglo-Saxons were a Germanic
group who migrated to England. During the 7th century CE, Christianity
began to spread.

The Viking Age (793 CE - 1066). This period marked the large-scale raiding
of Britain and large parts of Europe by Scandinavian Norsemen. Voyaging
as far as North America, Vikings settled in Britain and other parts of Europe,
co-existing with Anglo-Saxons.
 The Crusades (1096 - 1291). The Catholic Church began military
expeditions to spread the influence of Christianity and claim the Holy Land
in the Middle East, under the control of Muslims. Religion became
increasingly important and influential.

Take a look at this collection of Medieval history resources for help when teaching
your children about this important time period.

The Renaissance
14th century - 17th century: Falling within the Early Modern Period of history, the
Renaissance was the time period in history that saw increased European explorations,
the invention of the printing press, and the development of international trade. There is
significant economic, political, cultural and religious developments across the world,
with military expansion occurring alongside increasing conflict between nations.

Here are some key periods/events of the Renaissance:

Invention of the printing press (1450). This improved communication and

cemented ideologies, whilst allowing them to spread more quickly.
 The Age of Exploration (15th-17th century). Europe embarked on extensive
overseas exploration. The Americas were discovered and colonialism
becomes an important part of European countries’ politics.

The Protestant Reformation (16th century). Led by Martin Luther, people

begin to split from the Catholic Church. Henry VIII makes Protestantism the
official religion of England.

Elizabethan era (1558 - 1603). Known as the ‘Golden Age’ in English history,
the reign of Elizabeth I oversaw international expansion, economic growth
and the re-emergence of Classical philosophy.

Late Modern Period

1750 CE - 1945: Also known as the Age of Revolution, the late modern time period in
history is between the Industrial Revolution and the end of World War II.

Here are a few eras/events that fall within, and occur in the late modern period:

The Industrial Revolution (18th-19th century). Developments in

manufacturing, including machinery and factory systems across Europe and
the United States began around 1760. This revolutionized the industry, the
economy and increased the population significantly.

The French Revolution (1789 - 1799). This movement overthrew the French
monarchy and replaced it with a government. It resulted in Napoleon
Bonaparte becoming an absolute monarch.

Victorian era (1837 - 1912). Under Queen Victoria, Britain experienced

industrial progress, the first railroad line and significant changes to politics
and society.

World War I (1914 -1918). The first global war in history, the Allied powers
fought against Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire.
This led to the fall of dynasties and further destruction and war.

World War II (1939 - 1945). The second global war was fought between the
Allies and the Axis. This resulted in millions of deaths, due to the conflict
and the Holocaust. The war resulted in the fall of Nazi Germany, the creation
of the United Nations and the beginning of the Cold War.

Take a look at this PowerPoint for more about the impact of the Industrial Revolution.

Contemporary History
1945 - present: Contemporary, or modern, history is mostly considered beginning post-
World War II up until present day.

Here are a few significant events/periods in contemporary history:

The Cold War (1945-1991). In the aftermath of WW2, increasing tension

between the United States and the Soviet Union became known as the Cold
War. This involved no fighting between the two, but the two remained
oppose due to the United States being democratic and the Soviet Union
being communist.

The Space Age (1957-). The Cold War also encompassed the Space Race.
This was the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to
 see who could achieve spaceflight and reach the Moon first. After this,
space exploration continued to progress and develop.

The Digital Age (1970s-). Also known as the information age, the digital age
is defined by the significant development of computer, informational and
digital technology and the shift this caused within the economy.

Are you searching for similar teaching wikis to this Time Periods in History page? Take
a look at these three topics we think will be perfect for you:

History - Start at the basics and learn the definition of history and what it
means for us.

Time Capsule - This page tells you everything there is to know about time
capsules, and links to resources to help you create your own!

Timeline of Human Evolution - A fascinating page all about human

evolution.

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