tidsalderen

Tidsalderen is a term used in Norwegian and Danish to describe a distinct historical era characterized by shared social, economic, technological, or cultural features. It is a broad, often contested label applied by historians, archaeologists, and writers to group together changes that unfold over multiple generations. The word combines tids (time) and alderen (the age); tidsalderen specifically refers to “the era” within a given context.

In practice, tidsaldre are defined in various ways depending on discipline and national historiography. Commonly named examples include jernalderen (Iron Age), bronsealderen (Bronze Age), middelalderen (Middle Ages), and opplysningstiden (Age of Enlightenment). More contemporary uses describe the industrialiseringens tidsalder (the era of industrialization) or the digitale tidsalder (the digital era), highlighting periods shaped by particular technologies or social reorganizations. The framing helps structure discussions about long-term change in areas such as production, governance, religion, and everyday life.

Boundaries between tidsaldre are not fixed, and different scholars may propose different start and end dates for an era. Transitions between eras can be gradual and overlapping, reflecting complex processes rather than a sharp break. The term may carry normative or thematic implications, emphasizing a coherent set of traits rather than precise chronology.

See also era, periodization, and chronology, as well as specific named tidsaldre like the Iron Age, Bronze Age, and Enlightenment to understand how contexts and interpretations shape the concept of an era.