Two ideas are the backbone of history: time (the past) and space (the place). Every event must have both. If we know only the event but not when or where it happened, our knowledge is incomplete.
Time in history
Time tells us when something happened. Historians measure time using years and eras. We use CE (Common Era) for years after year 1, and BCE (Before Common Era) for years before it. A larger unit is a century, which is a period of 100 years. Events are placed on a timeline so we can see their order from earliest to latest.
| 1 decade | 10 years |
| 1 century | 100 years |
| 1 millennium | 1,000 years |
Space in history
Space tells us where something happened. A place can be a city, a country, a river or a region. For example, the Egyptian civilisation grew along the Nile, and Mesopotamia lay between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Knowing the place helps us understand why an event happened there and how geography shaped people's lives. For example, living beside a great river gave people water, fertile soil for farming and an easy way to travel and trade. This is why the earliest civilisations all grew near rivers.
Key idea
Time = when (year, century, BCE/CE). Space = where (city, river, country). A century = 100 years. Both are needed for every event.
Remember
- BCE = before year 1; CE = after year 1.
- 1 century = 100 years.
- A timeline shows events in order of time.