Varauusaeg

Varauusaeg is a term used in Estonian historiography and archaeology to denote the broad prehistoric era that precedes the medieval period. It covers the time from the post-glacial settlement of the region through the Stone Age, Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age, up to the appearance of written sources and the Christianization that marks the start of historical records in the area.

The exact timing of varauusaeg varies by region, but in the Baltic and Estonian context it spans from the late Stone Age to the early medieval era. Stone Age communities were mainly hunter-gatherers, the Neolithic brought farming and pottery, and the Bronze Age and Iron Age introduced metallurgy, increasingly settled communities, and broader exchange networks with neighboring regions. The archaeological record for varauusaeg is studied through tool and pottery typology, settlement patterns, and burial practices, with dating relying on radiocarbon methods and material culture comparisons.

Endpoints of varauusaeg are generally linked to the emergence of written sources, the intensification of Christianization, and changes in political organization that accompany the medieval era. In Estonia, as in surrounding Baltic regions, the transition to the medieval period includes shifts toward centralized rule, feudal structures, and documented interaction with neighboring powers.

In scholarly usage, varauusaeg serves as a broad umbrella for exploring prehistoric life before state formation and written history. Researchers often subdivide it into Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age subperiods to reflect regional developments and to organize evidence from landscapes, settlements, graves, and artifacts.