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Significant Archaeological Periods

This dataset provides an overview of significant historical periods, detailing their chronological ranges, geographical regions, and key cultural or technological features. It serves as a reference for understanding the evolution of human societies from prehistoric times through the Industrial Revolution.

  • Period Name: The name of the historical period being described.
  • Chronological Range: The time span during which the period occurred, typically indicated in years or centuries.
  • Region: The geographical area or areas where the characteristics of the period were most prominent.
  • Key Features: A brief description of the main cultural, technological, or social developments that define the period.

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Sample Data

Period Name Chronological Range Region Key Features
Upper Paleolithic 50,000 - 10,000 BCE Worldwide Artistic expression, advanced tool use, emergence of Homo sapiens.
Mesolithic 10,000 - 5,000 BCE Europe and Near East Transitional period, semi-nomadic lifestyles, increase in microliths.
Neolithic 10,000 - 4,500 BCE Worldwide Agriculture, permanent settlements, pottery, weaving.
Bronze Age 3300 - 1200 BCE Near East, Europe, South Asia Use of bronze, the rise of cities, trade networks.
Iron Age 1200 - 600 BCE Worldwide Iron metallurgy, the emergence of empires, complex societies.
Classical Antiquity 8th Century BCE - 5th Century CE Mediterranean Formation of empires, development of philosophy, written records.
Middle Ages 5th - 15th Century CE Europe and parts of Asia Feudalism, church dominance, the rise of kingdoms.
Renaissance 14th - 17th Century CE Europe Revival of classical learning, art, humanism, scientific advancements.
Industrial Revolution 18th - 19th Century CE Worldwide Mass production, urbanization, technological innovation.
Prehistoric Before written records Worldwide Development of stone tools, early human behaviors.
Chalcolithic 4500 - 3500 BCE Middle East and parts of Europe Copper use, early forms of metallurgy, emergence of social hierarchies.
Early Bronze Age 3300 - 2100 BCE North Africa and Eurasia First urban centers, trade routes, religious structures.
Late Bronze Age 1600 - 1200 BCE Eastern Mediterranean Cultural exchanges through trade, collapse of regional powers.
Early Iron Age 1200 - 800 BCE Mediterranean and Near East Iron tools, rise of early states.
High Middle Ages 11th - 13th Century CE Europe Increased trade, study of classical antiquity, gothic architecture.
Late Middle Ages 14th - 16th Century CE Europe Black Death, emergence of modern nation-states, printing press.
Pre-Columbian 3000 BCE - 1492 CE Americas Diverse cultures, monumental architecture, complex societies.
Indus Valley Civilization 3300 - 1300 BCE South Asia Urban planning, social organization, early writing.
Chinese Neolithic 10,000 - 2000 BCE China Rice cultivation, village settlements, early pottery.
Roman Empire 27 BCE - 476 CE Mediterranean and parts of Europe Road networks, law and governance systems, architectural innovation.
Byzantine Period 330 - 1453 CE Eastern Mediterranean Continuation of Roman culture, Orthodox Christianity, arts.
Islamic Golden Age 8th - 14th Century CE Middle East and parts of Europe Advancements in science, mathematics, and philosophy.
Age of Discovery 15th - 17th Century CE Worldwide European exploration, colonization, globalization.
American Revolution 1765 - 1783 CE North America Colonial independence, formation of constitutional governance.
Victorian Era 1837 - 1901 CE United Kingdom Industrial progress, empire expansion, cultural shifts.
Postmodern Era Late 20th Century - Present Worldwide Rejection of modernist norms, cultural pluralism, global communication.
Neolithic Revolution 10,000 - 2000 BCE Worldwide Transition from hunting-gathering to settled agriculture.
Stone Age 2.6 million years ago - 3000 BCE Worldwide Use of stone tools, basic social structures.
Hellenistic Period 323 - 30 BCE Eastern Mediterranean Spread of Greek culture, art, and philosophy after Alexander.
Prehistoric America 10,000 BCE - 1492 CE Americas Early hunter-gatherers, development of agriculture and complex societies.
Old Kingdom Egypt 2686 - 2181 BCE Egypt Pyramid construction, centralized state, Egyptian art.
New Kingdom Egypt 1550 - 1070 BCE Egypt Expansion, wealth, monumental architecture, pharaohs.
Aksumite Empire 100 - 940 CE Northeast Africa Trade empire, early Christianity, stelae construction.
Carolingian Renaissance 8th - 9th Century CE Western Europe Cultural revival under Charlemagne, preservation of knowledge.
Renaissance in Italy 14th Century - 16th Century CE Italy Artistic and intellectual revival, notable artists, humanism.
African Iron Age 600 BCE - 1000 CE Sub-Saharan Africa Iron technology, development of complex societies.
Baroque Era 1600 - 1750 CE Europe Dramatic art, architectural grandeur, scientific advancements.
Enlightenment 17th - 19th Century CE Europe and Americas Philosophical movement emphasizing reason and individualism.
Postcolonial Period 20th Century - Present Worldwide Decolonization, cultural identity movements, global interconnectedness.
Ancient China 2100 BCE - 221 BCE China Dynastic rule, philosophical developments, technological innovations.
Viking Age 793 - 1066 CE Scandinavia and parts of Europe Norse exploration, trade, and raiding.
Mesoamerican Era 1500 BCE - 1500 CE Central America Development of complex societies like the Maya and Aztec.
Middle Kingdom Egypt 2055 - 1650 BCE Egypt Consolidation of power, cultural flourishing, literature.
Sumerian Civilization 4500 - 1900 BCE Mesopotamia Development of cuneiform, city-states, ziggurats.
Iron Age Europe 800 - 1 BCE Europe Rise of Celtic tribes, trade networks, early settlements.
Roman Republic 509 - 27 BCE Mediterranean Political system development, conflicts, expansion.
Sioux Period circa 1800 CE North America Complex tribal societies, resistance against colonization.
Ancient Greece circa 800 - 300 BCE Greece Foundation of democracy, philosophy, Greek art.
Celtic Period circa 600 BCE - 43 CE Western Europe Celtic tribes, intricate art, trade routes.
Indigenous Australian Cultures Before 1788 Australia Hunter-gatherer societies, Dreamtime stories, land management.
Babylonian Empire 1894 - 539 BCE Mesopotamia Legal codes, mathematics, astronomy.
Lapita Culture 1600 - 500 BCE Oceania Maritime trade, pottery, early Polynesian settlements.
Early Modern Period 1500 - 1800 CE Worldwide Transition from medieval to modern, exploration, scientific revolution.
Qing Dynasty 1644 - 1912 CE China Final imperial dynasty, cultural and scientific advancements.
Arab Caliphate 7th - 13th Century CE Middle East and North Africa Islamic expansion, cultural synthesis, science.
Saxony Period 5th - 8th Century CE Germany Migration period, early medieval kingdoms.
Shang Dynasty 1600 - 1046 BCE China Early Chinese writing and bronze age culture.
Tang Dynasty 618 - 907 CE China Cultural flourishing, expansion, trade via Silk Road.
Gupta Empire c. 240 - 550 CE India Golden Age of India, advancements in mathematics and science.
Caribbean Arawak Taino Pre-1492 Caribbean Islands Agricultural societies, complex social hierarchies.
Hittite Empire 1600 - 1178 BCE Anatolia Advancements in law, warfare, and diplomacy.
Ottoman Empire 1299 - 1922 CE Southeast Europe, Western Asia, North Africa Cultural melting pot, trade routes, art.
Ancestral Puebloans 1000 BCE - 1300 CE Southwest USA Cliff dwellings, complex societies, agricultural practices.
Chavin Culture 900 - 200 BCE Peru Religious center, monumental architecture, art.
Feudal Japan 1185 - 1603 CE Japan Samurai culture, shogunates, isolationist policies.
Sassanian Empire 224 - 651 CE Persia Cultural revival, architecture, Zoroastrianism.
Vedic Period 1500 - 500 BCE India Formation of Hinduism, early Indian society, philosophical texts.
Minoan Civilization 2600 - 1400 BCE Crete Palatial centers, art, early writing systems.
Early Medieval Period 5th - 10th Century CE Europe Fall of the Western Roman Empire, development of feudal systems.
Vikings in North America circa 1000 CE North America Norse exploration, trading posts, settlements.
Sumerian Period circa 4500 - 1900 BCE Mesopotamia City-states, development of writing (cuneiform).
Mississippian Culture circa 800 - 1600 CE Southeast USA Mound-building, complex societies, agriculture.
Prehistoric Japan 30,000 BCE - 300 CE Japan Jomon and Yayoi cultures, pottery, early agriculture.
Polynesian Expansion 1000 BCE - 1300 CE Oceania Maritime navigation, settlement of islands.
Olmec Civilization 1400 - 400 BCE Mexico Colossal heads, early writing and trade.
Qin Dynasty 221 - 206 BCE China Unification of China, Great Wall construction, legalism.
Zhou Dynasty 1046 - 256 BCE China Development of Confucianism, Mandate of Heaven.
Roman Britain 43 - 410 CE Britain Integration of Roman culture, urban centers, Hadrian's Wall.
Golden Age of Islam 8th - 14th Century CE Middle East and North Africa Cultural and intellectual advancements, trade flourishing.
The Reformation 16th Century CE Europe Religious reformation, emergence of Protestantism.
Neolithic Europe 6000 - 2000 BCE Europe Agricultural practices, megalithic structures.
Early South American Civilizations 1500 BCE - 500 CE Andes Region Complex social structures, religious beliefs, agriculture.
Western Han Dynasty 206 BCE - 9 CE China Expansion of territory, trade on Silk Road.
Late Bronze Age Greece 1600 - 1100 BCE Greece Mycenaean civilization, palace culture.
Prehistoric Siberia circa 30,000 BCE - 500 CE Siberia Hunting-gathering societies, nomadic lifestyles.
Chola Dynasty c. 300 BCE - 1279 CE South India Advancements in arts, architecture, maritime trade.
Age of Empires 15th - 20th Century CE Worldwide European colonialism, the establishment of trade empires.
Shang Dynasty 1600 - 1046 BCE China Bronze Age culture, ancestor worship, early writing.
Prehistoric Oceania circa 3000 BCE - 1200 CE Oceania Migration, development of agricultural societies.
Emergence of City-States 3rd Millennium BCE Mesopotamia Urbanization, governance systems, trade networks.
Teotihuacan 100 BCE - 750 CE Central Mexico Urban center, pyramids, cultural exchange.
Neo-Assyrian Empire 911 - 609 BCE Mesopotamia Military achievements, library of Ashurbanipal.
Khmer Empire 802 - 1431 CE Southeast Asia Construction of Angkor Wat, advanced hydraulic engineering.
Chimu Culture c. 900 - 1470 CE Peru Complex societies, metalwork, and agriculture.
Indigenous Californian Cultures Pre-Contact California Diverse groups, complex societal structures, resource management.
Tekri Culture 3000 - 1500 BCE Western India Early urbanization, settlements, metallurgy.
Attachment Age,"6th - 2nd Century CE Central Asia Development of trade routes, nomadic societies. NaN
Pushkin Era 1920 - 1940 CE Russia Cultural renaissance, literature.
Great Zimbabwe 1100 - 1450 CE Southern Africa Monumental stone ruins, trade networks.
Greenland Norse Settlements 10th - 15th Century CE Greenland Viking exploration, adaptations to Arctic environments.
Great Basin Cultures Prehistoric - Present Western USA Hunter-gatherer societies, diverse adaptations.
Terracotta Army 210 BCE - 210 CE China Burial art from the Qin dynasty, large-scale crafting.
European Neolithic Neolithic period Europe Distribution of farming, monumental architecture like Stonehenge.
Missouri Hopewell Culture 200 BCE - 500 CE Midwestern USA Mound building, extensive trade networks.
Pictish Culture 300 - 900 CE Scotland Symbol stones, complex society, interaction with Romans.
Bronze Age Scandinavia 1800 - 500 BCE Scandinavia Elder burial mounds, metalwork.
Edwardian Era 1901 - 1910 CE United Kingdom Cultural shifts, societal changes, early modernity.
Bantu Migrations circa 1000 BCE - 500 CE Sub-Saharan Africa Spread of agriculture, language spread.
Carolingian Empire 800 - 888 CE Western Europe Cultural revival, unification under Charlemagne.
Mesopotamian Societies 3500 - 500 BCE Mesopotamia Invention of writing, monumental architecture.
Maori Culture circa 1300 - Present New Zealand Indigenous peoples, rich oral traditions, resource management.
Amerindian Cultures Pre-Columbian Era North America Cultural diversity, complex societies, early settlements.
Transitional Period 10,000 - 8,000 BCE Worldwide Shift from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies.
Prehistoric Norway 12,000 BCE - 800 CE Norway Cave paintings, early settlements, hunter-gatherer societies.
Old Norse Culture circa 800 - 1300 CE Scandinavia Viking explorations, rich storytelling tradition.
Great Wall of China 7th Century BCE - 16th Century CE China Military fortifications, defense architecture.
Harappan Civilization 2600 - 1900 BCE Indus Valley Urban planning, advanced drainage systems, trade.
Chichen Itza 600 - 1200 CE Mexico Mayan city, cultural center, astronomical observations.
Phoenician Civilization c. 1200 - 539 BCE Mediterranean Sea trade, alphabet development, city-states.
Bactrian Period c. 3rd Century BCE - 4th Century CE Central Asia Cultural syncretism, trade routes like the Silk Road.
Qing Dynasty 1644 - 1912 CE China Last imperial dynasty, societal changes, opium wars.
Norwegian Independence 1814 Norway Emergence of national identity, constitutional governance.
Saddle & Breach Period circa 1910 - Present Worldwide Global conflicts, social changes.
Back to the Stone Age Prehistoric Era Worldwide Reversions to primitive living due to climate or conflict.
Thracian Culture 600 BCE - 300 CE Southeast Europe Rich burial customs, unique artifacts.
Vedic to Mauryan Transition 500 BCE to 300 CE India Philosophical evolution, early state formation.
North American Colonization 16th - 18th Century CE North America Interactions between Europeans and Indigenous peoples.
Neo-liberal Era Late 20th Century - Present Worldwide Economic globalization, technological advancements.
Early Egyptian Dynasties 3100 - 2686 BCE Egypt Formation of the state, pyramids construction.
Minoan to Mycenaean Transition 2000 - 1200 BCE Greece Decline of Minoan civilization, rise of Mycenaean.
Romanesque Period circa 1000 - 1150 CE Europe Architecture, art, and growth of church influence.
Harappan to Vedic Transition 1900 - 1500 BCE Indus Valley to North India Cultural assimilation, new socio-political structures.
Gothic Era 12th - 16th Century CE Europe Architectural styles, cathedral constructions, religious fervor.
Fjord Culture Prehistoric Era Scandinavia Maritime adaptations, subsistence lifestyles.
Mongol Empire 1206 - 1368 CE Eurasia Largest contiguous empire, cultural exchanges, trade.
Aegean Bronze Age 3000 - 1100 BCE Greece Cultural florescence, early writing, major trade networks.
Age of Enlightenment 17th - 19th Century CE Europe Emphasis on reason, scientific advancement, philosophical discourse.
Early Republic Era 1776 - 1815 CE USA Founding of the nation, development of democratic principles.
Santa Cruz Culture Prehistoric Era California Developed understanding of local ecology and sustainable practices.
Yamato Period c. 300 - 710 CE Japan Formation of the Japanese state, cultural developments.
Aztec Empire 1428 - 1521 CE Mexico Advancements in mathematics, architecture, comprehensive social structure.
Sutton Hoo 7th Century CE England Anglo-Saxon burial, rich grave goods, historical significance.
Neolithic British Isles 4000 - 2000 BCE British Isles Construction of megaliths, farming.
Salvadoran Civilizations circa 1000 BCE - 1500 CE El Salvador Development of complex societies, pottery, agriculture.
Vietnamese Prehistory circa 3000 BCE Vietnam Development of agriculture, bronze working.
Beringian Cultures 20,000 - 10,000 BCE Siberia and North America Early human migration into the Americas through Beringia.
Trans-Saharan Trade circa 8th Century - Present North Africa Exchange of goods across the Sahara, cultural exchanges.
Balkan Bronze Age 3000 - 1000 BCE Balkans Ceramic development, regional trade networks.
Angkor Period 802 - 1431 CE Cambodia Advanced irrigation, monumental architecture.
Zaragoza Strip 1800 - 1900 CE Spain Urban and economic development, modern advancements.
Unified India circa 350 - 500 CE India Cultural consolidation, spread of Buddhism.
Polar Cultures circa 3000 BCE - Present Arctic Adaptations to extreme environments, hunting-gathering societies.
Earliest Humans circa 2.5 million years ago - 10,000 BCE Worldwide Homo habilis to Homo sapiens emergence, basic tool use.
Harappan Period 3300 - 1300 BCE Indus Valley Urban civilization marked by advanced engineering.
Pre-Contact Hawaiians 300 CE - 1778 CE Hawaii Complex society, agricultural practices, voyaging traditions.
Missouri Mound Builders 1000 BCE - 200 CE Midwestern USA Mound construction, trade networks, agricultural societies.
Chaco Canyon 900 - 1150 CE Southwest USA Cultural center for Pueblo culture, large dwellings.
Globular Amphora Culture ca. 4100 - 2900 BCE Central Europe Neolithic burial traditions, pottery styles.
Benin Kingdom 1180 - 1897 CE West Africa Political organization, cultural richness, art.
Burial Mounds of Ohio 1000 BCE - 500 CE Ohio Monumental earthworks related to ancient Native American societies.
Archaic Greece circa 800 - 500 BCE Greece Foundation of city-states, emergence of democracy.
Peoples of the Andes Prehistoric - Present Andes Region Rich cultural heritage, terracing agriculture.
Neolithic Island Cultures 4000 BCE - 2000 BCE Island Regions Development of unique languages and cultures.
Sumer to Babylon Transition 2000 - 1500 BCE Mesopotamia Rise of Babylon, cultural exchanges.
Waikato Culture Prehistoric Era New Zealand Early Māori customs, farming practices.
Warring States Period 475 - 221 BCE China Political fragmentation, philosophical developments.
Prehistoric Baltic Region 3000 - 1200 BCE Baltic Sea Region Non-agricultural societies, cultural artifacts.
Iron Age in Africa circa 500 BCE - 200 CE Africa Introduction of iron technology, social changes.
Rustic Era Late 18th Century - Early 19th Century Europe Emergence of rural cultures, simple living.
Tribal America circa 300 BCE - 1500 CE North America Tribal governance, diverse cultures.
Steppes Culture ca. 2000 BCE - Present Eurasian Steppe Nomadic lifestyle, pastoralism, cultural exchanges.
Civilization of Peru circa 1200 - 1400 CE Peru Cultural exchange networks, monumental constructions.
Prehistoric Brittany Neolithic - Early Iron Age Brittany, France Megalithic constructions, burial traditions.
Transitional Egyptian Period 1050 - 332 BCE Egypt Decline of pharaonic power, invasions.
Norse in Ireland c. 795 - 1169 CE Ireland Viking invasions, settlements, cultural exchange.
Neolithic Architectural Cultures 4000 - 2000 BCE Worldwide Development of ceremonial architecture, settlements.
Titular Kingdoms of the Maya Pre-Columbian Era Mesoamerica Political power structures, cultural richness.
Bosnian Pyramids Prehistoric Era Bosnia and Herzegovina Construction of ancient pyramids, controversies.
Caddo Culture 600 - 1800 CE Southern USA Trade networks, mound-building societies.
New World Civilizations 1492 - 1600 CE Americas Diverse indigenous cultures, early colonialism.
Post Classic Mesoamerican Civilizations 900 - 1521 CE Central Mexico Cultural exchanges, urban centers post-Mayans.
Seafaring Cultures of the North 500 BCE - 1500 CE Northern Europe Maritime trade, settlements, exploration.
Stone Circles of the British Isles 2900 BCE - 1500 BCE British Isles Constructed for ritualistic purposes, astronomical alignments.
Latvian Bronze Age 1800 - 500 BCE Baltic Region Trade routes, emergence of social hierarchy.
Caral Civilization circa 3000 - 1800 BCE Peru Oldest known civilization in the Americas, complex society.
Antiquity in Iraq 5000 BCE - 600 CE Iraq Sumarian, Akkadian, Babylonian civilizations.
East African Civilization 1000 BCE - 1500 CE East Africa Trade interactions with Arabs, Bantu migrations.
History of Ancient Rome 753 BCE - 476 CE Rome Political evolution, technological advancements, cultural practices.
Culture of the Cirripedia 500 BCE - 100 CE Society throughout Asia Aquatic societies, early earthworks.
Emergence of Buddhism 500 BCE - 0 CE India Philosophical movements, influence on culture.
Southeast Asian Empires 500 - 1500 CE Southeast Asia Cultural revolutions, trade routes.
Ancient Israel 1000 BCE - 100 CE Israel Development of Judaism, cultural identity.
Merchant Cities of Venice 1000 - 1500 CE Italy Cultural richness, trade networks.
Campagne Culture 500 BCE - 500 CE France Social organization, military structures.
Velvet Revolution Era 1968 - 1993 CE Czech Republic Cultural awakening, political transitions.
Bulgarian Kingdom 681 - 1396 CE Bulgaria Early Slavic kingdoms, cultural exchanges.
Scythian Period 800 - 300 BCE Eurasia Nomadic tribes, significant cultural influence.
Fertile Crescent Civilizations 9000 - 500 BCE Middle East Origins of agriculture, early cities.
Southerly American Cultures Prehistoric - Present South America Indigenous development, agriculture.
Mesolithic/Neolithic Transition 5000 - 3500 BCE Northwestern Europe Technological advances, settlement patterns.
Hieroglyphic Cultures of Egypt 3100 - 300 BCE Egypt Development of writing, religious practices.
Art Deco Era 1920 - 1940 CE Worldwide Artistic movement, architectural uniqueness.
Cystic Fibrosis Era 1950 - Present Worldwide Medical advancements, patient care development.
Pre-galactic Civilizations 2000 BCE - 300 CE Various Cultures Cultural development predating known history.
Yugoslavia Era 1946 - 1992 CE Balkans Cultural richness, conflicts leading to dissolution.
Transatlantic Slave Trade Era 16th - 19th Century CE Transatlantic Human movement, social and economic changes.
Silk Road Era 2nd Century BCE - 14th Century CE Eurasia Cultural exchanges, trade networks.
Nationalism Movements 19th - 20th Century CE Worldwide Rise of nation-states, ethnic identities.
Sumer to Babylon Transition Period 2000 - 1500 BCE Mesopotamia Cultural transitions, advancements in governance.
Woman's Rights Movement 19th - 20th Century CE Worldwide Cultural shifts towards gender equality.
Modernist Movement Late 19th - Mid 20th Century Worldwide Cultural rethinking of art, literature, and philosophy.
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