<Li> Ancient history -- Aggregate of past events from the beginning of recorded human history and extending as far as the Early Middle Ages or the Postclassical Era . The span of recorded history is roughly less than five thousand years , beginning with the earliest linguistic records in the third millennium BC in Mesopotamia and Egypt . <Ul> <Li> Classical antiquity -- Broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea , comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome , collectively known as the Greco - Roman world . It is the period in which Greek and Roman society flourished and wielded great influence throughout Europe , North Africa and the Middle East . </Li> </Ul> </Li>
<Li> Ancient history -- Aggregate of past events from the beginning of recorded human history and extending as far as the Early Middle Ages or the Postclassical Era . The span of recorded history is roughly less than five thousand years , beginning with the earliest linguistic records in the third millennium BC in Mesopotamia and Egypt . <Ul> <Li> Classical antiquity -- Broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea , comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome , collectively known as the Greco - Roman world . It is the period in which Greek and Roman society flourished and wielded great influence throughout Europe , North Africa and the Middle East . </Li> </Ul> </Li>
what is the time period before the middle ages
what is the time period before the middle ages
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity