Measuring Time

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

The human past is more than three million years old. We divide this vast time into smaller, more manageable units.The method by which the years are dated has varied over time and between cultures. Ancient Greeks:- Dated the years from the holding of first Olympic gamesRomans:- Dated history from the ofiunding of the city of RomeEgyptians:- Recorded events in terms of how many years each king had ruled; divided their history into successive dynastiesChinese:- Also divided their history into successive dynastiesIslamic culture: - Events are dated from the Hegira, the year of Mohammed's departure from MeccaJudaism:- Years are dated from 3761BC, believeed to be the year of Creation

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