Catalonia archaeology heritage – time periods and ages

In archaeology, a standard convention is the division of prehistory and history into three main ages, the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. This three-age system has been used since the nineteenth century, and as a general framework works well. Since the introduction of radiocarbon dating in the mid-twentieth centuries – which allowed for the absolute dating rather than the relative dating used previously –  the three-age system has continued to be used and matched to relatively precise dates.

Across Europe, and the world, different chronologies occured and researchers use different names and definitions, which match the regional or national archaeology. The table below provides the time periods and ages’ names & divisions used by the Inventari del Patrimoni Cultural Immoble Català (Catalan Cultural Heritage Inventory), Generalitat de Catalunya, as it relates to the archaeology of Catalonia. This provides a general resource and resource guide for the dates used in the literature on the prehistory and history of Catalonia. The dates, however, are a moveable feast, in that new sites and finds can change the upper and lower ranges, and more recent publications will use a different sequence.

Date

Period

Period - Catalan

3,000,000 - 9000 BCPalaeolithicPaleolític
3,000,000 - 120,000 BCLower PalaeolithicPaleolític Inferior
3,000,000 - 600,000 BCLower Archaic PalaeolithicPaleolític Inferior Arcaic
600,000 - 120,000 BCLower Archaic Palaeolithic with more evolved partsPaleolític Inferior Arcaic amb peces més evolucionades
120,000 - 50,000 BCLower Middle Palaeolithic - undifferentiatedPaleolític Inferior Mig-Indiferenciat
90,000 - 33,000 BCMiddle PalaeolithicPaleolític Mig
33,000 - 9000 BCUpper PalaeolithicPaleolític Superior
11,000 - 7000 BCFinal Upper Palaeolithic - Early Epipalaeolithic (Undifferentiated)Paleolític Sup. Final-Epipaleolític Antic (Indiferenciat)
9000 - 5000 BCEpipalaeolithicEpipaleolític
33,000 - 5500 BCLeptolithic (undifferentiated)Leptolític (Indiferenciat)
5000 - 2200 BCNeolithicNeolític
5000 - 3500 BCEarly NeolithicNeolític Antic
5000 - 4000 BCCardial Early NeolithicNeolític Antic Cardial
4000 - 3500 BCPost-Cardial Early NeolithicNeolític Antic Postcardial
3500 - 2500 BCMiddle NeolithicNeolític Mig-Recent
2500 - 2200 BCLate NeolithicNeolític Final
2200 - 1800 BCChalcolithicCalcolític
1800 - 650 BCBronze AgeBronze
1800 - 1500 BCEarly Bronze AgeBronze Antic
1500 - 1200 BCMiddle Bronze AgeBronze Mig
1200 - 1150 BCLate Bronze Age IBronze Final I
1150 - 900 BCLate Bronze Age IIBronze Final II
900 - 650 BCLate Bronze Age IIIBronze Final III
650 - 50 BCIberian Iron AgeFerro-Ibèric
650 - 450 BCEarly Iberian Iron AgeFerro-Ibèric Antic
450 - 200 BCMiddle Iberian Iron AgeFerro-Ibèric Ple
200 - 50 BCLate Iberian Iron AgeFerro-Ibèric Final
218 BC - 476 ADRomanRomà
218 - 50 BCRoman RepublicRomà República
27 BC - 14 ADAugustan RomeRomà August
14 - 192 ADEarly Imperial RomeRomà Alt Imperi
192 - 284 ADThird century RomeRomà Segle III
284 - 476 ADLate Imperial RomeRomà Baix Imperi
400 - 1492 ADMedievalMedieval
401 - 715 ADMedieval- Visigoth RuleMedieval Domini visigòtic
715 - 799 ADMedieval - Muslim Occupation and RuleMedieval Ocupació i domini musulmà
800 - 988 ADMedieval - Old Catalonia subjected to the CarolingiansMedieval Catalunya vella sotmesa als Carolingis
988 - 1150 ADMedieval - Counts of BarcelonaMedieval Comtes de Barcelona
1150 1230 ADMedieval - Consolidation Crown of AragonMedieval Consolidació Corona d'Aragó
1230 1492 ADMedieval - Late Middle AgesMedieval Baixa Edat Mitjana
800 - 1150 ADMedieval - Muslim WorldMedieval Món Islàmic
800 - 899 ADMedieval - Islamic World EmirateMedieval Món Islàmic Emirat
900 - 1015 ADMedieval - Islamic World CaliphateMedieval Món Islàmic Califat
1016 -1150 ADMedieval - Islamic World TaifasMedieval Món Islàmic Taifes
1493 - 1789 ADModernModern

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