Hello friends, many times when discussing the history of human works, I came across using terms like pre-history, ancient history, modern history, etc. To an unaware person, these terms might appear as generic terms in history. But as a member of Human Work History, I believe you are entitled to know these basics (and as a writer of HWH, it is my responsibility to share!)
So, in today’s short article, I am covering the broad division of history across time periods.
This might appear "boring” but consider it as learning the alphabet and grammar of a language. It appears boring but it skills you enough to enjoy the language later on.
BCE, BC, CE, or AD?
We will use the term BCE (Before common era) instead of BC (Before Christ) and CE (common era) instead of AD (anno domini).
anno domini is Medieval Latin and means "in the year of the Lord"
The two notation systems are numerically equivalent: "1850 CE" and "AD 1850" each describe the current year; "400 BCE" and "400 BC" are the same year.
Let’s begin!
Pre-history (Before 3000 BCE)
This refers to the period before writing was invented.
Divided into 3 broad eras —
Old stone age (Paleolithic)
Period: 2.5 Million years ago to 200,000 years ago
Highlight: Discovery of how to control fire.
Middle stone age (Mesolithic)
Period: 200,000 years ago to 10,000 BCE
Highlight: First biologically modern humans (Homo sapiens). Humans spread all over the globe.
New stone age (Neolithic)
Period: 10,000 BCE to 3,000 BCE
Highlight: Invention of the wheel and agriculture
Ancient History (3000 BCE to 700 CE)
This refers to the period after the invention of writing till the 5th century CE.
Bronze Age
Period: 3,000 BCE to 1,300 BCE
Highlight:
Usage of Bronze
Invention of Tea
Great Pyramids
Indus civilizations
Vedic period in India
Iron Age
Period: 1,300 BCE to 500 BCE
Highlight:
Homer writes Illiad and Odyssey
Founding of Rome
Birth of The Buddha
Classical Antiquity
Period: 500 BCE to 300 CE
Highlight:
Plato and Aristotle
Alexander and Ashoka the Greats
Birth of the Jesus
Late Antiquity
Period: 300 CE to 700 CE
Highlight:
Rise of Christianity
Beginning of Islam
Byzantine Empire
Medieval History (700 CE to 1500 CE)
Early Medieval
Period: 700 CE to 1000 CE
Highlight:
Spread of Islam
Illuminated Manuscripts
High Medieval
Period: 1000 CE to 1300 CE
Highlight:
First mechanical clocks
Spread of Windmills
Spectacles
Gun powder
Gothic Architecture
Late Medieval
Period: 1300 CE to 1500 CE
Highlight:
Gutenberg invents the printing press
Leonardo da Vinci
Columbus travels to America
Vasco da Gama travels to India
Modern History (1500 CE to Current)
Early Modern Period
Period: 1500 CE to 1800 CE
Highlight:
Martin Luther
Copernicus, Galileo, Shakespeare
Taj Mahal
Isaac Newton
American, French and Industrial Revolution
Late Modern Period
Period: 1800 CE to 1945 CE
Highlight:
Invention of the Steam Engine
Invention of the Light Bulb, Airplane, Cars, and Telephone
Napolean, Karl Marx, Queen Victoria
Charles Darwin
American Civil War
Great Depression
World War I and II
Albert Einstein
Mahatma Gandhi
Contemporary Period
Period: 1945 CE to current
Highlight:
Indian Independence
Landing on Moon
Cold War, Vietnam War
United Nations
Internet
9/11, Asian Tsunami
Important
The above timelines and periods have been created by historians to make the study of history easy and organized. The start and end of each period are not to be considered as “precise” events. There are considerable years of overlap between consecutive periods. Also, the periods differ from one place to another as well. In some regions, the bronze age started earlier than others while some had modernity arrive later.
Request for sharing your preference on what type of articles you would like to read on Human Work History.
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