Prehistory

Prehistory, sometimes called pre-literary history, is the time between when early humans first used stone tools about 3.3 million years ago and when people began to write things down. The first known writing started around 5,200 years ago, but writing spread slowly. Because of this, prehistory ended at different times in different places. When a culture is written about by others but has not yet created its own writing, it is called the protohistory of that culture.

Prehistory is different from history because we cannot read written records from that time. Instead, we learn about prehistoric people by studying things they left behind, like tools, buildings, and bones. These objects help us understand how people lived long ago, even though we do not know their names. Terms like "Neanderthal" or "Iron Age" are labels we use today to describe groups of people from the past, but these labels can sometimes be debated by scientists.

Since there are no written records from prehistory, we rely on archaeology and anthropological studies to learn about this time. Early ideas about prehistoric people came from collecting folklore and comparing it to societies without writing that were seen in more recent times. By looking at these materials and remains, we can piece together the story of human life before written history.

History of the term

The idea of "prehistory" started during a time called the Enlightenment. People back then used words like "primitive" to talk about societies that existed before written records. The word "prehistory" was first used in English in 1836 in a magazine called the Foreign Quarterly Review.

Later, during the 1800s, scientists and historians from Britain, France, Germany, and Scandinavia created ways to organize the time before written records. They used a system called the three-age system. Some people thought that without writing, there could be no real history. But today, many believe that history can be studied using many kinds of evidence. Archaeologists especially find the term "prehistory" useful for describing their work and the stories they uncover from the past.^: 1

Means of research

The main source of information for prehistory comes from archaeology, studied with help from many other sciences. Anthropologists, including archaeologists and physical anthropologists, use excavation and scientific analysis to learn about ancient peoples. Geneticists and historical linguists also offer important insights.

Dating techniques, like radiocarbon dating, help researchers understand how old prehistoric objects are. Other methods, such as studying ancient languages and analyzing bones, provide more details about the lives of people who lived long ago.

Definition

The beginning of prehistory is marked by the appearance of human-like beings on Earth. Prehistory ends when written records begin, but this happened at different times in different places. In Egypt, prehistory ended around 3100 BCE, while in New Guinea, it ended much later, in the 1870s.

Main articles: Three-age system and Geologic time scale

Historians often divide prehistory into three main periods based on the materials used to make tools: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. Early civilizations such as Sumer in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley Civilisation, and ancient Egypt were among the first to develop writing. In many parts of the world, prehistory lasted until much later times, especially where writing was introduced by outside cultures.

Stone Age

Main article: Stone Age

The Stone Age is a long period in human history, lasting about 3.4 million years. It ended between 4000 BC and 2000 BC when people began to work with metals. This era includes the time when early humans first used stone tools and lived as hunter-gatherers.

The Stone Age has three main parts. The Palaeolithic, or Old Stone Age, started with the first stone tools about 3.3 million years ago and lasted until around 11,650 years ago. During this time, early humans used fire, made tools, and began to create art. The Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age, followed as glaciers retreated, lasting until farming began. This period saw new tools and technologies like fishing tackle and bows. The Neolithic, or New Stone Age, began around 10,200 BC with the start of farming. People settled in villages, domesticated animals, and developed new technologies like pottery.

Chalcolithic

Main article: Chalcolithic

The Chalcolithic, also called the Copper Age, was a time when people began to work with copper alongside stone tools. This period was a bridge between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. During this time, some tools and weapons were made from copper before people learned to mix copper with tin to make stronger bronze.

One of the oldest places where copper was worked with high heat is in Serbia, dating back about 7,500 years. This discovery shows that working with copper might have started in different places separately. The use of metal first appeared in the Fertile Crescent and later influenced areas like the Vinča culture in Europe and Timna Valley. This period marked big changes in how people made and used tools.

Bronze Age

Main article: Bronze Age

The Bronze Age marks a time when some early civilizations began using writing, ending their prehistoric periods. During this era, people learned to smelt copper and tin to make bronze, a much stronger metal than stone. This new material was mainly used for making weapons and was often kept by leaders as valuable treasures.

Because tin was rare, people had to travel far to trade for it, creating long-distance trading routes. By the end of the Bronze Age, large powerful states had formed in places like Egypt, China, Anatolia (home to the Hittites), and Mesopotamia, all of which could write and keep records.

Iron Age

Further information: Protohistory and Ancient history

Main articles: Iron Age and Classical antiquity

The Iron Age marks a time when many civilizations began using iron tools and weapons. This period started after the Bronze Age and brought big changes, like better farming, new religious ideas, and new art styles. Even though iron is easy to find, it took new skills to work with it because it needs higher heat than bronze.

In many places, the Iron Age ended when empires like the Roman Empire took over and started writing about these areas. For example, after the Romans came to Europe, people called that time "Roman" instead of "Iron Age." Some places, like the protohistory of Ireland, were described by people who could already write, even before they learned to write themselves.

Timeline

Further information: Timeline of human evolution and Timeline of prehistory

All dates in this section are approximate and based on research in fields like anthropology, genetics, geology, and linguistics. They may change with new discoveries.

Paleolithic

The Paleolithic era, meaning "old stone age," is when early humans first used stone tools. Around 3.3 million years ago, the earliest stone tools were made. Over time, early humans like Homo developed skills such as hunting, controlling fire, and making clothing. They also created art, like cave paintings.

Mesolithic/Epipaleolithic

The Mesolithic era, meaning "middle stone age," was a time of change. People began to settle in one place more often and may have started to grow plants like rye.

Neolithic

The Neolithic era, meaning "new stone age," saw big changes in how people lived. Around 9,400–9,200 BCE, people in the Jordan Valley began to grow figs, which may be the first known farming. Later, people in places like Mesopotamia started growing wheat and barley. They also built early villages, like Göbekli Tepe in Turkey and Jericho.

Chalcolithic

The Chalcolithic era, meaning "copper age," was when people began using copper for tools. Around 3,700 BCE, early writing called proto-cuneiform started in Sumer. This was a way to keep records. Other important sites from this time include Skara Brae in Scotland and the start of Stonehenge construction.

By region

The study of prehistory varies greatly depending on the region. In the Old World, which includes continents like Africa, Asia, and Europe, important areas of study include Prehistoric Africa, Prehistoric Asia, and Prehistoric Europe. These areas have many sub-regions, such as Prehistoric China, Prehistoric Caucasus, and Prehistoric Balkans.

In the New World, which includes the Americas, key regions include Pre-Columbian Americas. Oceania, covering areas like Australia and New Zealand, also has its own prehistoric periods, such as Prehistoric Australia and Prehistoric New Zealand. Each of these regions offers unique insights into early human history.