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 BC | Palaeolithic | Paleolític |
3,000,000 - 120,000 BC | Lower Palaeolithic | Paleolític Inferior |
3,000,000 - 600,000 BC | Lower Archaic Palaeolithic | Paleolític Inferior Arcaic |
600,000 - 120,000 BC | Lower Archaic Palaeolithic with more evolved parts | Paleolític Inferior Arcaic amb peces més evolucionades |
120,000 - 50,000 BC | Lower Middle Palaeolithic - undifferentiated | Paleolític Inferior Mig-Indiferenciat |
90,000 - 33,000 BC | Middle Palaeolithic | Paleolític Mig |
33,000 - 9000 BC | Upper Palaeolithic | Paleolític Superior |
11,000 - 7000 BC | Final Upper Palaeolithic - Early Epipalaeolithic (Undifferentiated) | Paleolític Sup. Final-Epipaleolític Antic (Indiferenciat) |
9000 - 5000 BC | Epipalaeolithic | Epipaleolític |
33,000 - 5500 BC | Leptolithic (undifferentiated) | Leptolític (Indiferenciat) |
5000 - 2200 BC | Neolithic | Neolític |
5000 - 3500 BC | Early Neolithic | Neolític Antic |
5000 - 4000 BC | Cardial Early Neolithic | Neolític Antic Cardial |
4000 - 3500 BC | Post-Cardial Early Neolithic | Neolític Antic Postcardial |
3500 - 2500 BC | Middle Neolithic | Neolític Mig-Recent |
2500 - 2200 BC | Late Neolithic | Neolític Final |
2200 - 1800 BC | Chalcolithic | Calcolític |
1800 - 650 BC | Bronze Age | Bronze |
1800 - 1500 BC | Early Bronze Age | Bronze Antic |
1500 - 1200 BC | Middle Bronze Age | Bronze Mig |
1200 - 1150 BC | Late Bronze Age I | Bronze Final I |
1150 - 900 BC | Late Bronze Age II | Bronze Final II |
900 - 650 BC | Late Bronze Age III | Bronze Final III |
650 - 50 BC | Iberian Iron Age | Ferro-Ibèric |
650 - 450 BC | Early Iberian Iron Age | Ferro-Ibèric Antic |
450 - 200 BC | Middle Iberian Iron Age | Ferro-Ibèric Ple |
200 - 50 BC | Late Iberian Iron Age | Ferro-Ibèric Final |
218 BC - 476 AD | Roman | Romà |
218 - 50 BC | Roman Republic | Romà República |
27 BC - 14 AD | Augustan Rome | Romà August |
14 - 192 AD | Early Imperial Rome | Romà Alt Imperi |
192 - 284 AD | Third century Rome | Romà Segle III |
284 - 476 AD | Late Imperial Rome | Romà Baix Imperi |
400 - 1492 AD | Medieval | Medieval |
401 - 715 AD | Medieval- Visigoth Rule | Medieval Domini visigòtic |
715 - 799 AD | Medieval - Muslim Occupation and Rule | Medieval Ocupació i domini musulmà |
800 - 988 AD | Medieval - Old Catalonia subjected to the Carolingians | Medieval Catalunya vella sotmesa als Carolingis |
988 - 1150 AD | Medieval - Counts of Barcelona | Medieval Comtes de Barcelona |
1150 1230 AD | Medieval - Consolidation Crown of Aragon | Medieval Consolidació Corona d'Aragó |
1230 1492 AD | Medieval - Late Middle Ages | Medieval Baixa Edat Mitjana |
800 - 1150 AD | Medieval - Muslim World | Medieval Món Islàmic |
800 - 899 AD | Medieval - Islamic World Emirate | Medieval Món Islàmic Emirat |
900 - 1015 AD | Medieval - Islamic World Caliphate | Medieval Món Islàmic Califat |
1016 -1150 AD | Medieval - Islamic World Taifas | Medieval Món Islàmic Taifes |
1493 - 1789 AD | Modern | Modern |