Question

How do historians divide the past into periods? Do they face any problems in doing so? 

Answer 1

1. Historians divide the past into periods based on the economic and social factors which characterize them. In doing so they are faced with two problems.
2. First, economic and social changes keep taking place; hence, definite boundaries cannot be drawn.
3. Second, these periods are compared with modernity.
4. Modernity gives a sense of progress.
5. This implies that there was no progress before, which is not true.