You can refer to a period of history or a long period of time as an era when you want to draw attention to a particular feature or quality that it has. 时代
noun [抽象名词]时代(the Victorian / Clinton era),年代(the steam-engine / post-war era),纪元
It was, if you like, the dawn of a new era. 换句话说,那就是新时代的黎明。