129:
is used informally. The
Pleistocene ended about eleven or twelve thousand years ago; the Stone Age (in any given region) ended whenever people began using metal tools, which is a process thought to have begun in the
890:
later. (The particulars are disputed, and this is only an example. The point would be the same if the use of iron originated in China and spread to the west, or were independently discovered later in the west.)
201:, it ended when the Bronze Age began, but in many other parts of the world, there was a direct transition from neolithic to iron-age technologies during the last thousand years or so.
778:
773:
479:
166:. Geologically, the Holocene is the time since the retreat of the glaciers; anthropologically, it corresponds to the time since the
92:) and both intermediary (before Neolithic) and succeeding (after Neolithic) technological periods entirely within the Holocene.
484:
113:
epoch comprises almost all (more than 99%) of the
Quaternary. The Pleistocene is more or less contemporaneous with the
905:
457:
154:
pause in the
Pleistocene pattern. The transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene is marked by the end of the
57:, so the Stone Age as a whole is approximately contemporaneous with the Quaternary. The Quaternary is defined by
497:
96:
878:), is that the phenomena involved have locations as well as periods. Thus the Anatolian Iron Age starts around
193:
is the
Holocene Stone Age, and is principally characterized by the development of pastoral, horticultural, and
274:. We no longer consider ourselves in the Iron Age, but there is no consensus about when the Iron Age ended.
529:
808:
542:
391:
379:
Coastal flooding and incursions of the sea upon the land for about 5000 years, centered on this millennium
194:
837:
803:
798:
69:
on the basis of technological artifacts. (Back in the day when the
Gelasian was accounted part of the
874:
The problem with technology-based chronological terms such as Bronze Age, Iron Age, (those used by the
240:. It began later or was bypassed entirely in other regions. Generally, the Bronze Age comprises the
179:, taken as a whole, comprises not only the entirety of the Pleistocene but also most of the Holocene.
950:
900:
783:
295:
287:
167:
46:
which is still unfolding. The
Pleistocene lasted over 150 times as long as the Holocene has so far.
820:
594:
538:
453:
445:
315:
308:
163:
159:
752:
720:
705:
647:
578:
505:
468:
433:
415:
400:
385:
360:
337:
329:
271:
245:
241:
233:
940:
825:
689:
623:
598:
291:
237:
198:
131:
945:
920:
883:
879:
875:
793:
788:
651:
643:
602:
524:
370:
267:
263:
697:
610:
449:
35:
935:
862:
713:
663:
655:
614:
207:
925:
639:
520:
492:
344:
325:
319:
155:
89:
81:
76:
The end of the
Pleistocene is also approximately contemporaneous with the end of the
854:
832:
815:
768:
764:
756:
742:
736:
728:
724:
685:
677:
673:
669:
618:
606:
564:
421:
366:
215:
151:
66:
930:
847:
842:
747:
701:
693:
681:
635:
631:
590:
533:
488:
439:
115:
109:
77:
62:
39:
17:
910:
510:
473:
374:
283:
228:
211:
31:
270:, and began later in other regions. It is often roughly identified with the
553:
406:
189:
175:
147:
120:
85:
58:
54:
583:
557:
547:
258:
143:
70:
61:
on the basis of rock and soil formation, and the Stone Age is defined by
50:
43:
915:
887:
514:
351:
125:
27:
627:
570:
262:
began roughly 3000 years ago. In the Near East, it began around the
26:
The context of human prehistory and history is known to terrestrial
732:
425:
73:
epoch, we'd say that the Stone Age began in the late
Pliocene.)
53:, see below) is about the same time as the beginning of the
248:. In any given region, it ended when the Iron Age began.
42:, which ended about 11 or 12 thousand years ago, and the
134:, but began at different times in different places.
123:), and is also what is usually meant when the term
49:The beginning of the Quaternary (that is, the
8:
394:spreads to East Asia, South Asia, and Europe
103:Pleistocene epoch ("Ice Age", Old Stone Age)
462:sudden drastic climate change at 3200 BCE?
146:epoch comprises the last eleven or twelve
302:List of millennia of the Holocene Epoch
886:but the Chinese Iron Age starts a few
779:European colonization of the Americas
7:
870:Deficiencies of the three-age system
774:Spanish colonization of the Americas
480:Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia)
409:flooded with saltwater at 5600 BCE?
328:floods with seawater, closing the
24:
1:
347:of various plants and animals
282:For the history of the last
884:fourteen thousand years ago
183:Neolithic, or New Stone Age
150:and is, perhaps, merely an
967:
906:Orders of magnitude (time)
34:period. It comprises two
498:Indus Valley Civilisation
173:Note that the so-called
543:Middle Assyrian Empires
530:Middle Kingdom of Egypt
809:Protestant reformation
513:, introduction of the
838:Industrial revolution
804:Scientific revolution
799:Commercial revolution
485:Early Dynastic Period
458:domesticate the horse
234:around 5000 years ago
158:(a late stage of the
99:for further context.
951:History of the world
901:Logarithmic timeline
784:Atlantic slave trade
704:in the Andes; early
688:; classic period of
456:speakers?) possibly
373:in the highlands of
296:history of religions
288:history of the world
197:techniques. In the
168:Neolithic revolution
821:American revolution
595:Neo-Assyrian Empire
454:Proto-Indo-European
316:last glacial period
309:10th millennium BCE
164:10th millennium BCE
160:last glacial period
84:. This places the
753:Age of exploration
721:Islamic Golden Age
706:Islamic Golden Age
648:Hellenistic Greece
579:1st millennium BCE
506:2nd millennium BCE
469:3rd millennium BCE
434:4th millennium BCE
416:5th millennium BCE
401:6th millennium BCE
386:7th millennium BCE
361:8th millennium BCE
338:9th millennium BCE
330:Bering Land Bridge
272:1st millennium BCE
941:History by period
826:French revolution
690:Maya civilization
624:Achaemenid Empire
292:history by period
246:2nd millennia BCE
132:Ancient Near East
958:
946:History of Earth
921:Three-age system
876:three-age system
794:Triangular trade
789:Arab slave trade
652:Ancient Carthage
371:forest gardening
268:11th century BCE
966:
965:
961:
960:
959:
957:
956:
955:
897:
872:
611:Greek Dark Ages
304:
280:
254:
224:
185:
140:
105:
67:anthropologists
22:
21:
20:
12:
11:
5:
964:
962:
954:
953:
948:
943:
938:
936:Historiography
933:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
896:
893:
871:
868:
867:
866:
863:3rd millennium
859:
858:
857:
852:
851:
850:
845:
840:
830:
829:
828:
823:
813:
812:
811:
806:
801:
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
762:
761:
760:
750:
739:
735:civilization,
714:2nd millennium
710:
709:
708:
664:1st millennium
660:
659:
658:
656:Roman Republic
621:
615:Archaic Greece
575:
574:
573:
567:
561:
550:
545:
536:
527:
502:
501:
500:
495:
482:
465:
464:
463:
460:
443:
430:
429:
428:
412:
411:
410:
397:
396:
395:
382:
381:
380:
377:
357:
356:
355:
348:
345:domestications
334:
333:
332:
323:
303:
300:
284:thousand years
279:
276:
253:
250:
223:
220:
208:Epipaleolithic
184:
181:
139:
138:Holocene epoch
136:
104:
101:
63:archaeologists
23:
15:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
963:
952:
949:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
932:
929:
927:
926:Periodization
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
898:
894:
892:
889:
885:
881:
877:
869:
865:
864:
860:
856:
853:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
835:
834:
831:
827:
824:
822:
819:
818:
817:
814:
810:
807:
805:
802:
800:
797:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
771:
770:
766:
763:
758:
754:
751:
749:
746:
745:
744:
740:
738:
734:
730:
726:
722:
718:
717:
716:
715:
711:
707:
703:
699:
695:
691:
687:
683:
679:
675:
671:
668:
667:
666:
665:
661:
657:
653:
649:
645:
641:
640:Maurya Empire
637:
633:
629:
625:
622:
620:
616:
612:
608:
604:
600:
596:
592:
588:
587:
585:
581:
580:
576:
572:
568:
566:
562:
559:
555:
551:
549:
546:
544:
540:
537:
535:
531:
528:
526:
522:
521:Shang Dynasty
519:
518:
516:
512:
508:
507:
503:
499:
496:
494:
490:
486:
483:
481:
478:
477:
475:
471:
470:
466:
461:
459:
455:
451:
447:
444:
441:
438:
437:
436:
435:
431:
427:
423:
420:
419:
418:
417:
413:
408:
405:
404:
403:
402:
398:
393:
390:
389:
388:
387:
383:
378:
376:
372:
368:
365:
364:
363:
362:
358:
353:
349:
346:
342:
341:
340:
339:
335:
331:
327:
326:Bering Strait
324:
321:
320:Younger Dryas
317:
313:
312:
311:
310:
306:
305:
301:
299:
297:
293:
289:
285:
277:
275:
273:
269:
265:
261:
260:
251:
249:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
230:
221:
219:
217:
213:
209:
206:
202:
200:
196:
192:
191:
182:
180:
178:
177:
171:
169:
165:
161:
157:
156:Younger Dryas
153:
149:
145:
137:
135:
133:
128:
127:
122:
118:
117:
112:
111:
102:
100:
98:
97:Preprehistory
93:
91:
90:New Stone Age
87:
83:
82:Old Stone Age
79:
74:
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
47:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
19:
873:
861:
855:20th century
833:19th century
816:18th century
769:17th century
765:16th century
757:17th century
743:15th century
737:Tawantinsuyu
712:
686:Tang Dynasty
678:Gupta Empire
674:Chola Empire
670:Roman Empire
662:
619:Vedic period
607:Zhou Dynasty
577:
565:Vedic period
504:
467:
432:
422:Ubaid period
414:
399:
384:
367:Permaculture
359:
336:
307:
286:or so, see:
281:
278:Contemporary
257:
255:
227:
225:
216:Chalcolithic
204:
203:
195:agricultural
188:
186:
174:
172:
152:interglacial
141:
124:
114:
108:
106:
94:
75:
48:
25:
931:Archaeology
848:Imperialism
843:Colonialism
748:Renaissance
731:dynasties,
694:Teotihuacan
682:Eastern Han
636:Western Han
632:Qin Dynasty
591:New Kingdom
534:New Kingdom
489:Old Kingdom
446:Sredny Stog
440:Uruk period
392:Agriculture
354:established
314:End of the
116:Paleolithic
110:Pleistocene
78:Paleolithic
40:Pleistocene
18:User:Arkuat
911:Prehistory
755:(to early
532:and early
511:Bronze Age
474:Bronze Age
452:cultures (
375:New Guinea
229:Bronze Age
222:Bronze Age
212:Mesolithic
59:geologists
32:Quaternary
888:centuries
644:classical
554:Babylonia
407:Black Sea
343:Numerous
238:Near East
205:See also:
199:Near East
190:Neolithic
176:Stone Age
162:) in the
148:millennia
121:Stone Age
86:Neolithic
55:Stone Age
895:See also
698:Tiwanaku
584:Iron Age
558:Kassites
548:Hittites
442:in Sumer
350:Town of
259:Iron Age
252:Iron Age
144:Holocene
71:Pliocene
51:Gelasian
44:Holocene
916:History
880:fifteen
617:; late
515:chariot
472:(early
450:Yamnaya
352:Jericho
236:in the
170:began.
126:ice age
30:as the
28:geology
741:circa
719:later
628:Persia
599:Israel
571:Olmecs
569:early
563:early
509:(high
232:began
38:: the
36:epochs
733:Aztec
603:Judah
589:Late
560:etc.)
525:China
493:Egypt
426:Sumer
119:(Old
80:, or
16:<
767:and
729:Ming
727:and
725:Yuan
702:Wari
700:and
692:and
684:and
676:and
646:and
634:and
613:and
601:and
552:Old
541:and
487:and
448:and
264:12th
256:The
244:and
226:The
187:The
142:The
107:The
95:See
88:(or
65:and
882:or
626:of
539:Old
523:in
491:in
424:in
369:or
266:or
242:3rd
723:,
696:;
680:;
672:;
654:,
650:,
642:,
638:,
630:,
609:;
605:;
597:,
593:,
586:)
517:)
476:)
298:.
294:,
290:,
218:.
214:,
210:,
759:)
582:(
556:(
322:)
318:(
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