Names for archaeological periods vary enormously from region to region. This is a list of the main divisions by continent and region. Dating also varies considerably and those given are broad approximations across wide areas.

Archaeological period articles - by Continent and Region

Epipaleolithic
Neolithic c7500 BC
Iron Age
Roman Middle Stone Age
Late Stone Age
Neolithic c4000 BC Bronze age (3300 BCE - 1200 BCE)
Iron age (1200 BCE - 586 BCE)
Historical periods (586 BCE - present) Jomon period c. 10,000 BC - 300 BC
Yayoi period c 300 BC - AD 250
Yamoto period c. AD 250 - 710 Archaic (c. 8000-1000 BC)
Formative(c. 1000 BC - AD 500)
Classic (c. AD 500 - 1200)
Post-Classic (c.1200 - 1900) Archaic (c. 8000-1000 BC)
Formative(c. 1000 BC - AD 500)
Classic (c. AD 500 - 1200)
Post-Classic (c.1200 - 1900) Archaic (c. 8200 - 1000 BC)
Formative (c. 1000 BC - AD 500)
Classic (c. AD 500 - 1200)
Post-Classic (c. AD 1200 - 1900) Classic period (AD 1350-1800) or (1650-1800 in eastern South Island) Neolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Roman Iron Age (c. AD 1 - 400)
Germanic Iron Age (c. AD 400- 800)
Viking Age (c. AD 800 - 1066)
Medieval period (1066 - c. 1500)
Post-medieval period (c. 1500 - c. 1800)
Industrial/Modern Mesolithic
Neolithic
Iron Age
Roman
Early medieval period (c. AD 400- 800)
Medieval period (800 - c. 1500)
Post-medieval period (c. 1500 - c. 1800)
Industrial/Modern Epipaleolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Hellenistic period
Roman
Byzantine period

Continents	Regions	Periods Articles	Major Periods
Africa	North Africa	North Africa	Paleolithic
	Sub-Saharan Africa	Sub-Saharan Africa	Early Stone Age
Asia	Near East	Levantine	Stone age (2,000,000 BP - 3300 BCE)
	South Asia	South Asian Periods
	East Asia	East Asia Periods	Neolithic c. 6000 BC
	North Asia	North Asia Periods
	Japan	Japan Periods	Paleolithic c. 100,000 - c. 10,000 BC
Americas	North America	North America	Lithic/Paleo-Indian (pre 8000 BC)
	Mesoamerica	Mesoamerica	Lithic/Paleo-Indian (pre 8000 BC)
	South America	South America	Lithic/Paleo-Indian (pre c. 8200 BC)
Australasia	Australia	Australia
	New Zealand	New Zealand	Archaic period (AD 1000 - 150)
	Oceania	Oceania
Europe	Northern Europe	Northern Europe	Mesolithic
	Western Europe	Western Europe	Paleolithic
	South eastern Europe	South eastern Europe	Paleolithic

Periods and stages in archaeology