Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

• World Regions
  • All World Regions
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • Africa
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • Central America
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • Central and North Asia
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • East Asia
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • Europe
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • North America
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • Oceania
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • South America
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • South and Southeast Asia
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • West Asia
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
• Timelines
  • 8,000–2,000 b.c.
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • 2,000–1,000 b.c.
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • 1,000 b.c.–1 a.d.
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • 1–500 a.d.
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • 500–1,000 a.d.
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • 1,000–1400 a.d.
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • 1400–1600 a.d.
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • 1600–1800 a.d.
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • 1800–1900 a.d.
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • 1900 a.d.–present
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
• Thematic Essays
  • Browse by Category
    • Recent Additions
    • All Thematic Essays
    • African Art
    • American Art
    • Ancient Near Eastern Art
    • Art of the Americas
    • Asian Art
    • Byzantine Art
    • Egyptian Art
    • European Art
    • Greek and Roman Art
    • Islamic Art
    • Medieval Art
    • Oceanic/Pacific Art
    • Prehistory
  • Browse by Geographical Region
    • Africa
    • Central America
    • Central and North Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • Browse by Time Period
    • 20,000–8000 B.C.
    • 8000–2000 B.C.
    • 2000–1000 B.C.
    • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
    • 1–500 A.D.
    • 500–1000 A.D.
    • 1000–1400 A.D.
    • 1400–1600 A.D.
    • 1600–1800 A.D.
    • 1800–1900 A.D.
    • 1900 A.D.–Present
  • Browse by Department
    • American Decorative Arts
    • American Paintings and Sculpture
    • Ancient Near Eastern Art
    • Arms and Armor
    • Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
    • Asian Art
    • The Costume Institute
    • Drawings and Prints
    • Education
    • Egyptian Art
    • European Paintings
    • European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
    • Greek and Roman Art
    • Islamic Art
    • The Libraries
    • Medieval Art and The Cloisters
    • Musical Instruments
    • Nineteenth-Century, Modern, and Contemporary Art
    • Objects Conservation
    • Paintings Conservation
    • Paper Conservation
    • Photographs
    • Robert Lehman Collection
    • Scientific Research
    • Textile Conservation
• Works of Art
• Index

Selected Readings

These annotated publications have been recommended by the Education staff of The Metropolitan Museum of Art as useful resources for the general public, K–12 teachers, and college students.

Prehistory

• Bahn, Paul G. Cambridge Illustrated History of Prehistoric Art. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

  Superb photographs enliven Paul Bahn's engaging contemplation of prehistoric art and the lives of the people who created these astonishing images. The last chapter is a guide to the problems of preservation inherent in the increasing popularity of this art. Includes bibliography and index.