Native American Cultural Periods

U.S. Early Cultures

Paleo ...................................................14,000 - 11,000 B.P.

Late Paleo ............................................12,000 - 10,000 B.P.

Transitional Paleo ..................................11,000- 9,000 B.P.

Early Archaic ........................................10,000 - 7,000 B.P.

Middle Archaic ......................................7,000 - 4,000 B.P.

Late Archaic .......................................... 4,000 - 3,000 B.P.

Middle to Eastern Cultures

Woodland ..............................................3,000 - 1,300 B.P.

Mississippian ..........................................1,300 - 400 B.P.

Historic .................................................. 450 - 170 B.P.

Western Cultures

Transitional ..............................................2,300 - 1,600 B.P.

Developmental .........................................1,600 - 700 B.P.

Classic ..................................................... 700 - 400 B.P.

Historic .................................................... 400 - 170 B.P.

Glacial Periods (Simms, 2008, Wang, 2009)

Late Pleistocene ............................................. 16,000 - 10,000 B.P.

Early Holocene .............................................. 10,000 - 8,000 B.P.

Middle Holocene (Altithermal Period)................ 8,000 - 4,500 B.P.

Neoglacial ...................................................... 4,500 - 2,500 B.P.

Roman Warm ................................................ 2,500 - 1,450 B.P.

Vandal Minimum (Dark Age Cold Period)..........1,450 - 1,150B.P.

Medieval Warm ............................................. 1,150 - 650 B.P.

Little Ice Age ................................................. 650 B.P. - 150 B.P.

Modern Times ............................................... 150 B.P. -  Present

Environment

Scandick period ....................................... 1,690 - 1,100 B.P.

Neo-Atlantic Period ................................. 1,100 - 760 B.P.

Pacific Period .......................................... 760 - 410 B.P.

Neo-Boreal Period ................................... 410 - 114 B.P.

Gardner's Prehistoric Chronology

Late Glacial ................................................. 10,030 + B.P.                   

Pre-Boreal ................................................... 10,030 - 9,300 B.P.        

Boreal ......................................................... 9,300 - 8,490 B.P.            

Atlantic ........................................................ 8,490 - 5,060 B.P.              

Sub-Boreal .................................................. 5,060 - 2,760 B.P.  

Sub-Atlantic .................................................2,760 - 1,690 B.P.            

Scandic period ............................................. 1,690 - 1,100 B.P.

Neo-Atlantic Period ..................................... 1,100 - 760 B.P.

Pacific Period .............................................. 760 - 410 B.P.

Neo-Boreal Period ....................................... 410 - 114 B.P.

Modern .......................................................114 - Present  

Texas Periods

Paleo .......................................................12,000 - 8,000 B.P.

Early Archaic ............................................8,000 - 5,500 B.P.

Middle Archaic ..........................................5,500 - 3,000 B.P.

Late Archaic ..............................................3,000 - 2,500 B.P.

Transitional Archaic .................................. 2.500 - 1,300 B.P.

Prehistoric ................................................ 1,300 - 300 B.P.

Historic .....................................................300 - 100 B.P.

     All ages on cultural periods are approximations.  B.P. stands for "Before Present".