pastancient

Pastancient is a term used primarily in speculative history, worldbuilding, and some fictional encyclopedias to describe a broad, pre-classical period that precedes what is traditionally labeled ancient civilizations. The scope and dating vary by author, but the concept centers on human societies before the rise of well-documented urban centers and monumental state institutions.

Etymology and usage: The word blends 'pre-' and 'ancient' with an emphasis on a transitional era that precedes established ancient cultures. It is not part of formal archaeology, but appears in fictional or alternative-history contexts to group hunter-gatherer, agrarian, and early proto-state developments that are otherwise sparsely attested.

Characteristics: Pastancient is generally characterized by limited written records, reliance on material culture and paleobotanical/paleoanthropological evidence, and a focus on subsistence strategies, social organization, technology, and environmental context rather than on named civilizations.

Criticism and limitations: Critics argue that the term can blur distinctions between well-studied prehistoric periods and speculative frameworks, and that it lacks standardized chronology. Proponents see value in a convenient label for discussing broad patterns across multiple regions.

See also: Prehistory, Protohistory, Ancient history, Worldbuilding.