In last weeks "Time Team" it was confusing to hear dates I did not think were correct. It was said that they were digging in the Neolithic period, stated as 2 1/2 thousand years BC. I thought that this period was in the Bronze Age. The Ages starting roughly - Bronze 3 thousand years BC, Iron 1 thousand years BC. Before the Bronze Age was the Neolithic Age. I appreciate that there is not a distinct line separatig the Ages. I also think there is confusion when people confuse BC with today's year. Can someone please explain this? Thank you very much.

Hello Bravo1. You're quite right in saying there's no distinct line between the ages - mainly because much of what we know about prehistory now doesn't fit the old stone-bronze-iron subdivision particularly well. Anyway - as a rough guide, the Neolithic 'begins' around 4,000 BC, give or take a century or two. The first metal is probably in use in Britain around 2,500 BC (plus or minus the odd century), while a reasonable 'start' to the Iron Age is circa 800 BC. As I say, a rough guide - many things considered 'Neolithic' - henges, Grooved Ware, that sort of thing - continue way beyond 2500 BC, while bronze could hardly be called common until well after 2,000 BC...

This is the generally accepted timeline used by archaeologists in the UK.
. ..............................................
Palaeolithic: 500,000 BC to 8,300 BC Generally split into Lower and Upper, which we will translate into Early and Late. Lower, -500,000 to -40,000 Upper, - 40,000 to -8,300
Mesolithic: 8,300 BC to 4,500 BC Early, -8300 to -6500 Late, -6500 to -3500
Neolithic: 3500 BC to 2100 BC As far as artefacts are concerned, the Neolithic is usually split into Early and Late; Middle Neolithic is generally only used for monuments. Early, -3500 to -2900 Middle, -2900 to -2500 Late, -2500 to -2100
There is an overlap of 50 years for the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age
Bronze Age: 2150 BC to 800 BC Early, -2150 to -1500 Middle, -1500 to -1150 Late, -1150 to -800
Iron Age: 800 BC to 100 AD Early, -800 to -300 Late, -300 to 100
There is an overlap of up to a century (depending on which part of the country you are in) during which artefacts can be either culturally Roman or culturally Iron Age.
Roman: 1 AD to 410 AD Early, 1 to 200 Late, 200 to 410
There is an overlap of at least a decade (depending on which part of the country you are in) during which artefacts can either be culturally Roman or culturally early-medieval.
Early-Medieval: 400 AD to 1066 AD Early, 400-720 Middle, 720-850 Late, 850-1066 In general, you will be able to date things more closely than this. Most early Anglo-Saxon object types will be quoted as mid fifth to mid sixth century (450-550), or late fifth or sixth century (475-600). Thereafter, dates tend to be quoted in centuries.
Medieval: 1066 AD to 1500 AD Late, 1400-1500? ‘Early medieval’ (soon after the Norman Conquest) can be hard to distinguish from ‘early-medieval’ (before the Norman Conquest). The term ‘middle medieval’ is not used. There is debate as to what constitutes the late medieval period. It is best to stick simply to ‘medieval’ and qualify it using calendar dates.
Post-Medieval: 1500 onwards Early, 1500-1600/1700 Early post-medieval is generally used for the 16th century and sometimes for the 17th century. The comments for the medieval period also apply here.
There is debate as to the relationship between ‘post-medieval’ and ‘modern’.
Modern: 1800 to the present day …Middle and late qualifiers are not used for this period

I should have said, This is the Timeline used by the PAS in dating artefacts.

quote:

Originally posted by Tetricus:
Thereafter, dates tend to be quoted in centuries...

Damned good idea that it is 'cos my brain was fuddled half way through that explanation, Alan!

I've tried to tidy this up a bit and make it easier to read, it's a pity you can't edit your own posts on here, after 2 mins that is.
...............................................

This is the Timeline as used by the PAS to record artefacts... ..............................................

Palaeolithic:
500,000 BC to 8,300 BC Generally split into Lower and Upper, which we will translate into Early and Late.
Lower, -500,000 to -40,000
Upper, - 40,000 to -8,300

Mesolithic:
8,300 BC to 4,500 BC Early, -8300 to -6500 Late, -6500 to -3500

Neolithic:
3500 BC to 2100 BC As far as artefacts are concerned, the Neolithic is usually split into Early and Late; Middle Neolithic is generally only used for monuments.
Early, -3500 to -2900 Middle, -2900 to -2500
Late, -2500 to -2100

There is an overlap of 50 years for the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age

Bronze Age:
2150 BC to 800 BC Early, -2150 to -1500 Middle, -1500 to -1150 Late, -1150 to -800

Iron Age:
800 BC to 100 AD
Early, -800 to -300
Late, -300 to 100
There is an overlap of up to a century (depending on which part of the country you are in) during which artefacts can be either culturally Roman or culturally Iron Age.

Roman:
1 AD to 410 AD
Early, 1 to 200
Late, 200 to 410
There is an overlap of at least a decade (depending on which part of the country you are in) during which artefacts can either be culturally Roman or culturally early-medieval.

Early-Medieval:
400 AD to 1066 AD
Early, 400-720
Middle, 720-850
Late, 850-1066
In general, you will be able to date things more closely than this. Most early Anglo-Saxon object types will be quoted as mid fifth to mid sixth century (450-550), or late fifth or sixth century (475-600).
Thereafter, dates tend to be quoted in centuries.

Medieval:
1066 AD to 1500 AD Late, 1400-1500? ‘Early medieval’ (soon after the Norman Conquest) can be hard to distinguish from ‘early-medieval’ (before the Norman Conquest). The term ‘middle medieval’ is not used. There is debate as to what constitutes the late medieval period. It is best to stick simply to ‘medieval’ and qualify it using calendar dates.

Post-Medieval:
1500 onwards Early, 1500-1600/1700 Early post-medieval is generally used for the 16th century and sometimes for the 17th century. The comments for the medieval period also apply here. There is debate as to the relationship between ‘post-medieval’ and ‘modern’.
Modern: 1800 to the present day …Middle and late qualifiers are not used for this period
………………………………………………………………………………………………

If anyone has any issues with this, please take it up with the PAS, not me

Nobody seems to have mentioned that these dates only apply to the UK, although if you were watching Time Team last week then we can probably assume you are in the UK (..or can we )

If you read archaeology on the Internet then there is more scope for confusion.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul N Brown:
Nobody seems to have mentioned that these dates only apply to the UK,

There was reference to this on the original post further up.
I omitted it on the amended version, as the PAS is only relevant to the UK.

Oh it's not you, Alan, I just have difficulty getting my head round a "middle early medieval" first thing on a Monday morning! And why you can have that but not a "middle medieval"

Why wasn't/isn't there a Copper Age or a Tin Age before the Bronze Age? Or did the early Brits simply miss that stage?

There almost certainly was a brief phase of copper (rather than bronze) use in the British Isles - we just don't tend to call it a 'Copper Age' or 'Chalcolithic', unlike other regions where use of copper began earlier, and thus continued longer before the use of alloyed metal - bronze - became established. There's little point distinguishing this phase (circa 2500-2300BC) as an 'Age' - in most other respects it was little different culturally from the (preceding)latest Neolithic or (succeeding)earliest Bronze Age. As for the early Brits missing that stage, arguably they were just quicker off the mark in developing techniques for creating a copper-tin alloy.

Many thanks all.
Bravo1.

Thanks Martyn, very helpful.

Thats cleared a few things up thanks. I hate the dates, I can never remember them and when you study several countries, the dates become even more confusing!