In the Paleolithic, chronology is indicated in years BP (Before Present). BP is a time scale used mainly in geology and other scientific disciplines. Standard practice is to use 1 January 1950 as the commencement date of the age scale, reflecting the origin of practical radiocarbon dating in the 1950s.1
From the Neolithic onward, chronology is preferably calculated in years BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) or BCE (Before Current Era) and CE (Current Era) rather that BP (Before Present).
The terms Anno Domini (AD) and Before Christ (BC) are used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. This calendar era is based on the traditionally reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus of Nazareth, with AD counting years from the start of this epoch, and BC denoting years before the start of the era. Terminology that is viewed as being more neutral and inclusive is to call this the Current or Common Era (abbreviated as CE), with the preceding years referred to as Before the Common or Current Era (BCE).
In this book BP will be used for Paleolithic, while BC and AD will be used for prehistory and historical time.
Lower Paleolithic 3,000,000–300,000 BP
Middle Paleolithic 300,000–30,000 BP
Upper Paleolithic 30,000 BP–10,000 BP
10,000–7000 BC
7000–6500 BC
Early Neolithic 6500–5300/5000 BC
Middle Neolithic 5300–4700 BC
Late Neolithic 4700/4300–3700 BC
3700–2300 BC
Early Bronze Age 2300–1700 BC
Middle Bronze Age 1700–1350 BC
Recent Bronze Age 1350–1200 BC
Late Bronze Age 1200–950 BC
Early Iron Age I: 950–880 BC
Early Iron Age II: 880–750 BC
750–500 BC
Foundation 509 BC
Rome in Latium 509–387 BC
Roman expansion in Italy 387–272 BC
Punic Wars and expansion in the Mediterranean 264–146 BC
Social troubles and first civil war 146–60 BC
Triumvirates and end of the Republic 60–27 BC (First Triumvirate: Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus, Gnaeus Pompey Magnus; Second Triumvirate: Augustus Caesar Octavian, Marcus Antonius, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus)
(*Emperors who ruled less than one year)
Julio-Claudian dynasty 27 BC–68 AD (Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero).
Flavian dynasty 68–96 AD (Galba*, Otho*, Vitellius*, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian).
Nerva–Antonine dynasty 96–192 AD (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Lucius Verus, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus).
Severan dynasty 93–235 AD (Pertinax*, Didius Julianus*, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, Geta, Macrinus, Elagabalus, Alexander Severus).
Gordian dynasty and Crisis of the Third Century 235–285 AD (Maximinus Thrax, Gordian I*, Gordian II*, Pupienus*, Balbinus*, Gordian III, Philip the Arab, Decius, Hostilian*, Trebonianus Gallus, Aemilian*, Valerian, Gallienius, Claudius Gothicus, Quintilius*, Aurelian, Tacitus*, Florianus*, Probus, Carus*, Carinus, Numerian).
Tetrarchy and Constantinian dynasty 284–364 AD2 (Diocletianus, Maximian, Galerius, Constantius Chlorus, Valerius Severus, Constantine the Great, Maxentius, Licinius I, Maximinus II, Constantine II, Constantius II, Constans I, Vetranio*, Julian, Jovian*).
Valentinian dynasty 364–392 AD (Valentinian I, Valens, Gratian, Valentinian II, Magnus Maximus, Eugenius)
Theodosian dynasty 392–455 AD (Theodosius I,3 Honorius, Constantine III, Constantius III*, Joannes, Valentinian III)
Last emperors of the Western Empire 455–476 AD (Petronius Maximus*, Avitus, Majorian, Libius Severus, Anthemius, Olybrius, Glycerius, Julius Nepos, Romulus Augustulus*)