Talking about History: English Vocabulary List

the study and writing of history, particularly the methods, interpretations, and principles used by historians to examine and interpret past events

"She studies historiography at university."

"Her research in historiography revealed how historians have interpreted the war differently."

one of the periods in history when ice covered large parts of the world

"Mammoths roamed the earth during the last ice age."

"An ice age is a long interval of global cold where continental ice sheets and mountain glaciers dramatically expand."

the period when iron was not discovered and people used bronze to make tools

"They studied the Bronze Age."

"Archaeologists discovered artifacts that provided valuable insights into daily life during the Bronze Age."

the early period of human history when people used things such as stone, horn, bone, etc. to make tools

"This tool is from Stone Age."

"The development of sophisticated stone tools marked a significant advancement for early humans during the Stone Age."

the era in European history commenced at the end of the Roman Empire in AD 476 and lasted until AD 1000

"The Dark Ages were long ago."

"The term dark ages is now seen as a misleading pejorative by many historians who study the complex early medieval period."

the period that began about 1100 BC when people used iron tools for the first time

"The Iron Age started three thousand years ago."

"The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division"

the period between the 14th and 16th centuries in Europe, marked by a rise of interest in Greek and Roman cultures, which is dominant in the art, philosophy, etc. of the times

"The Renaissance was a rebirth of art and classical learning."

"The European Renaissance marked a rebirth of classical art and learning."

an era in European history, between about AD 1000 and AD 1500, when the authority of kings, people of high rank, and the Christian Church was unquestionable

"Knights lived in Middle Ages."

"Castles and cathedrals are iconic architectural remnants from the period known as the Middle Ages."

a philosophical movement in the late 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason and science were of more importance than tradition and religion

"The Enlightenment championed reason over superstition."

"The Scottish Enlightenment produced an incredible concentration of thinkers"

the study of past events for the purpose of determining the order by which they occurred

"The book follows chronology."

"Establishing a clear chronology of events is essential for understanding historical cause and effect."

belonging or related to the Middle Ages, the period in European history from roughly the 5th to the 15th century

"The castle is medieval."

"The castle was built in medieval times and the thick stone walls have protected it from invaders for more than eight hundred years of continuous history."

the era in human history from which we have no written record

"Prehistory is the era before the invention of writing systems."

"Prehistory is not a static field; a new discovery of cave art can completely alter our understanding of an ancient hominid's cognitive world."

a catastrophic event that results in widespread death and destruction

"A nuclear holocaust is a terrifyingly plausible apocalypse."

"The documentary explored the devastating impact of the holocaust on survivors."

a manuscript or written record created on sheets of a plant material used in ancient Egypt for making paper-like scrolls and documents

"Papyrus was old Egyptian paper."

"Ancient Egyptians used papyrus to record their history and religious texts."

a secular designation used to represent dates in the Gregorian calendar before the traditional reference point of the birth of Jesus Christ

"Ancient Rome existed before Common Era."

"Dinosaurs lived during the Before Common Era period millions of years before humans appeared on Earth."

a mass murder committed in order to destroy a particular nation, religious or ethnic group, or race

"Genocide is a terrible crime against humanity."

"The international community established laws to prevent genocide and punish those who commit such terrible crimes."

a war that is between people who are in the same country

"A civil war is very sad."

"The civil war caused widespread destruction across the entire region."

used to refer to a date that is after the birth of Jesus Christ

"Anno Domini means after Christ."

"The anno Domini calendar starts from the birth of Jesus and is used widely around the world today."

marking the years before Christ's supposed birth

"The pyramids were built before Christ."

"The pyramids were built before Christ was born so they are over four thousand years old now."

used with a date to refer to things happened or existed after the birth of Christ

"We use the Common Era calendar."

"The Common Era calendar is used worldwide today and it counts years starting from the birth of Jesus."