oldworld

Old World is a term used in history, anthropology, and biogeography to refer to the continental landmasses of Europe, Asia, and Africa, together with their islands and surrounding habitats, as they were known to ancient and medieval civilizations. The phrase is commonly contrasted with the New World, which denotes the Americas and, in some contexts, Oceania, a distinction that arose after long-distance contact and exploration beginning in the late 15th century.

In biological and ecological contexts, the Old World designation distinguishes biogeographic regions. For example, Old World monkeys inhabit Africa and Asia, while New World monkeys are native to the Americas. The term also appears in discussions of plants and animals: many staple crops and domesticates—such as wheat, rice, barley, cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses—originated in the Old World and were later introduced to the Americas and other regions through exploration and colonization.

In archaeology, history, and cultural studies, the Old World typically refers to the civilizations of Afro-Eurasia, encompassing classical antiquity, medieval societies, and early modern states connected by long-distance trade networks like the Silk Road. The concept helps frame discussions of technology, writing systems, religion, and urbanization in regions that predated sustained transoceanic exchange with the Americas.

The term is practical but can be imprecise and Eurocentric, emphasizing European chronology and knowledge. Contemporary scholarship often emphasizes biogeography and cultural complexity beyond a simple Old World–New World dichotomy.