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 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