Global Periodization of World History: A Structural Model from Anthropogenesis to the Present

This article proposes a structural framework for the global periodization of world history, tracing the biological and socio‐cultural evolution of humanity from the emergence of the genus Homo to the present. Instead of relying solely on conventional chronological labels, historical periods are defined by major transformations in technological systems, economic organization, and patterns of large‐scale human interaction. Four major ethnocultural areas—African, Macro‐Eurasian, Sahulian, and American—are examined within a comparative perspective. The Macro‐Eurasian region serves as a primary analytical reference point for synchronizing global processes because of the early emergence of complex societies and written sources, though the framework remains comparative rather than hierarchical. The proposed periodization integrates established archaeological and historical epochs within a unified structural model emphasizing technological change, intercultural interaction and migration processes. By grounding period boundaries in shifts of underlying historical mechanisms, the model enables systematic cross‐regional comparison of long‐term human development.