Measuring Past Time

Aim of the Lesson: to understand how we measure time in the past

Key Words
Chronology The order in which things happen
AD Anno Domini (in the year of our Lord) ie after Christ
was born - meaning from 1 AD onwards to the present day
CE Common Era or Current Era - meaning from 1 AD
onwards to the present day
BC Before Christ - before Christ’s birth
BCE Before Common Era - meaning before Christ’s birth

Periods/eras Certain dates in History normally named after a royal

family line

STARTER: On the table below, use the following words to correctly

complete the table. Some have been completed for you. Some have
more than one answer:

Time How Measured

Time in the morning AM

Time 24 hours a day

Thirty days A month

365 days one year

10 years a decade

100 years a century

Time before Christ’s birth BC BCE

Time after Christ’s birth AD CE

Centuries
Historians usually reckon time in centuries. A century is a periods
of one hundred years. However it is important to understand how
reckoning time in centuries works. For example we who live in the
years two thousand and something, say we live in the twenty first
century.

The Trouble with BC

Julius Caesar tried to make himself the first emperor of Rome - but
he was killed in 44 BC. 17 years later (after much fighting), Augustus
Caesar served as the first Roman Emperor from 27 BC. Notice how “BC”
numbers go down as time goes on e.g. Augustus was 10 years old in 53
BC and 36 years old when he became Emperor in 27 BC.
From BC to AD
Augustus Caesar was leader from 27 BC to 14 AD - when he died.

1.a) Fill in the gaps carefully - the first 2 are done for you

The year 1 to the year 100 is the first century A.D.

The year 200 to the year 101 is the second century B.C.

The year 501 to the year 600 is the sixth century A.D.

The year 200 to the year 101 is the second century B.C.

The year 1 to the year 101 is the first century B.C.

The year 1401 to the year 1500 is the fourteenth century A.D.

The year 401 to the year 500 is the fourth century B.C.

The year 1601 to the year 1700 is the seventeenth century A.D.

The year 1701 to the year 1800 is the seventeenth century B.C.

The year 1901 to the year 2000 is the twentieth century A.D.

The year 2001 to the year 2100 is in the twenty first century A.D.
b) Do this quiz: https://lionel2.kgv.edu.hk/mod/quiz/view.php?
id=1156

2. Timelines
a) Put the following key events into chronological order, with the
oldest at the top.
3500 BC Mesopotamia (Iraq) was established as a civilisation by now

2700 BC The Egyptians built the first pyramid

c.2000 BC - Greek civilisation begins (on the island of Crete)

776 BC The first Olympic Games are believed to have been held in this
year

499 BC The Persian Wars begin

428 BC The philosopher Plato born

221 BC The First Emperor became leader of China

210 BC The First Emperor of China died

c.206 BC The Great Wall of China is completed. (“c.” means

“approximately” or “about”)

146 BC Romans takeover Greek Empire

55 BC Roman leader Julius Caesar attacked Britain

117 AD Hadrian becomes Roman Emperor

b) Add 3 more important dates from history of your choice. You can
research online - try
2100 BC: The calling of Abraham- The father of Jewish nation

c) CHALLENGE TASK: Add to each date and event above which

century it took place in. For example:
c.206 BC The Great Wall of China is completed. This took place in the
third century BC.

3. Play this: http://www.classtools.net/widgets/quiz_7/CeF3u.htm

4. Now make a timeline for Ancient Greece.
http://www.timetoast.com/

Greek civilisation
begins

2000 BC 1500 BC 1000 BC 500 BC I 500 AD