Unit of time

Definition

Prehistory

The period of time before the invention of writing (i.e. before c.3500BC)

History

The period of time after the invention of writing (i.e. after 3500BC)

BC

The period of history before the birth of Christ

AD

The period of history after the birth of Christ

BP

The period of time ‘Before the Present’ used by scientists in radiocarbon dating. Calculated as the number of years ‘Before 1950’, the year in which the radiocarbon dating method was introduced

Ancient history

The period of history before the fall of the Roman Empire in 476AD

Modern history

The period of history since the French Revolution in 1789

Dynasty

A period of time in which successive members of the same family rule

Era/epoch

A period of time marked by a distinctive character or set of events

	Created by ElsienaKate about 10 years ago

11 Ancient History Note on Measuring Time, created by ElsienaKate on 14/04/2014.

Measuring Time