According to the classic and traditional view, the division of human history is made into four major periods, also called “Ages”. Are they:
- Old age
- Middle Ages
- Modern age
- Contemporary age
Prehistory
The entire period that existed before the invention of writing is called Prehistory . Thus, Prehistory would correspond to a period of humanity that spans millions of years.
At that moment, man learned to live in community, to use fire, to domesticate animals and to produce food, giving rise to agriculture.
In prehistory, man created language as a means of communication and invented writing. In addition, he created painting, ceramics and the first social and political organizations.
The Prehistory is divided into three periods:
- Paleolithic : also called the “Chipped Stone Age”, it began approximately 4.4 million years ago and extends to 8000 BC
- Neolithic : also called “Polished Stone Age”, this period ranges from approximately 8000 BC to 5000 BC
- Age of Metals : period that extends from 5000 BC until the appearance of writing by the Sumerians , in 4000 BC.
Everything we know about Prehistory is due to the fossils and objects found in paleontological excavations, which occurred mainly from the end of the 19th century, extending to the present day, often presenting new discoveries.
Old age
Ancient Age or Antiquity is the period of history that is counted from the development of writing, by the Sumerians, around 4000 BC, until the fall of the Western Roman Empire, in 476 of the Christian era.
Among the historical facts of this period of history, the following stand out:
- Ancient East, comprising the Egyptian civilization , the Mesopotamian civilization , civilizations Hebrew , Phoenician and Persian
- Ancient Greece , from its origins to the archaic period
- Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire, until its fall, in 476
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is the period of history that begins in 476 and goes until the taking of Constantinople, by the Ottoman Turks, in 1453. During this period of history, the following stand out:
- High Middle Ages
- Feudalism
- Low Middle Ages
- Medieval Culture
- Formation of National Monarchies
Modern age
The Modern Age is the period of history that begins in 1453 and extends to the year 1789, date of the French Revolution. Within this period of history, the following stand out:
- European Maritime Expansion
- Commercial Revolution and Mercantilism
- European Colonialism in America
- African Tour
- Cultural Renaissance
- Protestant Reform and Counter-Reformation
- Absolutism
- Enlightenment
Contemporary age
The Contemporary Age is studied from 1789, the time of the French Revolution , to the present day. Within this period, several political, economic and social events were influenced by the French Revolution, such as:
- Independence of Brazil
- Industrial Revolution