ókor

Ókor, in Hungarian historiography, refers to the long period of human history preceding the Middle Ages, characterized by the formation of first civilizations, writing, urban life, and imperial systems. The timeframe varies by tradition, but in general it covers roughly from the emergence of writing and organized states to late antiquity, ending around the 5th to 8th centuries CE.

It includes the civilizations of Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, the Indus Valley, and early cultures of China and the Aegean world, as well as classical Greece and the Roman world. In other regions, similar ancient epochs cover pre-medieval developments in South Asia and the broader Mediterranean and Near East.

Common developments include the creation of writing, organized governments, legal and religious systems, and notable advances in science, mathematics, technology, and the arts. Architectural achievements, coinage and trade networks, and contact between cultures helped shape later medieval societies.

Scholars rely on archaeology, philology, epigraphy, and art history to study ókor. The term serves as a general label for ancient history while allowing regional variations in chronology and cultural scope.