Biblical Archaeology - Periods in Biblical Archaeology

Periods in Biblical Archaeology

The list of periods for Syro-Palestinian archaeology below is drawn from the definitions provided by the Mercer Dictionary of the Bible, p. 55.

• Bronze age: 3,200-1,200 BC
  • Early Bronze (EB) Age = 3200-2200 BC
  • Middle Bronze (MB) Age = 2200–1550 BC
    • MB I (formerly MB IIA) = 2200–2000
    • MB II (formerly MB IIA) = 2,000-1,750
    • MB III (formerly MB IIC) = 1750–1550
  • Late Bronze (LB) Age = 1550–1200 BC
    • LB I = 1550–1400
    • LB II = 1400–1200
• Iron Age: 1200-586 BC
  • Iron I = 1200–1000
  • Iron IIA = 1000-930
  • Iron IIB = 930-721
  • Iron IIC = 721-586
• Babylonian period: 586-539 BC
• Persian period: 539-332 BC
• Hellenistic period = 332-63 BC
  • Early Hellenistic = 332-198
  • Late Hellenistic = 198-63
• Roman period: 63 BC -324 AD