Scientists love to classify things and archaeologists are no exception.

One of the very first classification systems that was developed classified ancient history in the three broad eras.

This system was crude and isn't really used amongst professionals anymore, but its simplicity

has ensured that it still survives in casual use.

Learn more about the Three Ages system, the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. With Lloyd's bank ready-made investments you choose a risk level that feels right for you, from cautious to progressive,

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charges apply. Scientists classify almost everything. Life forms are classified into species, genus orders, and kingdoms, for example.

Stars are categorized by letter into O, B, A, F, G, K, and M.

I previously did a show on Geological Epox, explaining all the eras of Earth's history.

So it should come as no surprise that archaeologists also try to categorize human history. The three-age system of categorizing ancient human history came about in a very odd way.

It originally wasn't even an attempt to categorize history at all.

It began like so many things in science do back in the early 19th century.

Archaeology wasn't even initially a science in Europe. Everything was understood through the lens of the Bible.

If the Earth was 6,000 years old and if humans were engaged

in metallurgy right from the start, then stone tools didn't fit into this worldview. When stone objects

were found it was assumed that they were caused by lightning strikes or some other

natural phenomenon. However as Europeans started to sail around the world they found people

who used stone objects as tools. They soon realized that there was a time when humans didn't engage in metallurgy and that the objects they found were actually made by human hands.

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