👉 Phaethontic is a concept in archaeology that refers to the period of time between the death of the last king or queen of an ancient civilization and the rise of another new one. It was defined as the transition from prehistoric times, with no written records, to the development of later civilizations like the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. The term "phaethontic" comes from the Greek word "phaios," which means "old." In this context, it suggests