The Archean Era, also known as the Archean period, is a geological time period that took place approximately 4 to 2.5 billion years ago. During this time, the planet was still forming and undergoing a series of catastrophic events that shaped its surface and atmosphere. The Archean Era is also referred to as the Early Earth period or the Precambrian Era. Other synonyms for this period include the Eoarchean, Paleoarchean, Mesoarchean, and Neoarchean. These subdivisions of the Archean Era help geologists better understand the different stages of the Earth's evolution and how it influenced the development of life on the planet.