Ancient Age (possibly called Classical Antiquity in Western History) is the period within a civilization that begins with the introduction of writing into that civilization. The Ancient Age of a civilization is preceded by the prehistory, the era which writing is still unknown, sometimes by protohistory if the civilization has been described by other nations before.

Various cultures have an antiquity. This term is mainly used for the ancient European, West Asian and Egyptian civilizations. The common origin of this lies with the invention of writing in the Early Aegean Civilizations, not far before 3000 BC. The period between 750 BC to 500 AD is often referred as classical antiquity. This concept refers to the Greek and Roman civilizations, and disregards earlier Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations.

Other cultures also know an antiquity. For examples are Chinese antiquity, the Persian Empire and Mesoamerica. Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia are often regarded the forerunners of Western civilizations, but they are not classified as classical.

During the Ancient Age, the world population was already exponentially increasing due to the Neolithic Revolution still in progress. It's estimated that in 10.000 yrs. BC the world population had stood at 2 million people and rose to 45 million by 3000 BC. By the end of the Ancient Age, world population is thought to have reached 209 million humans.

The ending of the Ancient Age is disputed. Some Western scholars use the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AC. This is the date we are following. Others use the closure of the Platonic Academy (529 AD), the death of emperor Justinian I (565 AD) the coming of the Islam or the rise of Charlemagne as the end of the Ancient Age. Outside of Europe has had it difficult to use the time frame 400-500 AD for the end.