Timeline of European Environmental History

The Timeline of European Environmental History is a chronological exploration of the history of the interaction between human culture and nature, with a special focus on northwest Europe. The Timeline is based on the personal research and teaching interests of the author and is therefore selective in content and scope. Nevertheless, the timeline aims to provide an invaluable reference and research tool for students, educators, scholars, and anyone interested in environmental history and related subjects. The Timeline extends from prehistory to the present day and will continue to expand in scope and depth over time.


Structure and navigation

The basic structure of the Timeline of European Environmental History is chronological and divided in six timelines representing the main periods in European history. These periods are: prehistory, Antiquity, Middle Ages, Early Modern period represented by the Little Ice Age, modern era represented by the Industrial Revolution and the 20th century. Of course this is an arbitrary periodization and the beginning and end differ throughout Europe, apart from the 20th century. The beginning of the Industrial Revolution for example starts later in Italy than in the British Isles.

Each page has links to all of the period timelines. Use the timeline navigation menu at the left to explore the different periods.


Date notation

For notation of the dates we use the now internationally accepted BCE and CE notation. CE stands for Common Era, the time since 1 AD, and BCE means Before Common Era, the period before 1 AD.

Please note that the timeline is still under construction and not yet complete!