Early prehistory


This period has not yet been properly subdivided.	Sapience Home Site Map About Sapience History Prehistory

This period has not yet been properly subdivided.

Content

This lengthy period has an uncertain beginning and overlaps considerably with physical anthropology, or human origins. It is difficult to identify and date specific events, since academic consensus shifts somewhat with each new discovery. This can be roughly and tentatively divided into:

Pliocene: (5 Million to 2 Million years ago) Australopithecines.

Early Pleistocene: 2 Million - 1 million years ago: Homo Habilis

Middle Pleistocene: 1 million- 500 thousand Homo Erectus

Later Pleistocene: 500 Thousand - 100 Thousand Neanderthals

Late Pleistocene: 100 thousand - 50 Thousand: Modern man.


This period of human history overlaps with part of that covered in physical and natural science. Physics and chemistry are only indirectly useful. Astronomy is somewhat useful. Solar system astronomy may be somewhat useful. Stellar astronomy is less directly useful. Galactic astronomy and cosmology are not directly useful. Earth science including geology, hydrospheric science, atmospheric science, physical geography, is minimally useful. Geohistory is somewhat useful, though the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic eras are of very limited use. Human history occurs entirely in the Cenozoic Era. There are connections with the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs of geohistory. Biology including molecular, cell, and organism biology, systematics, and ecology is also minimally useful. Biohistory is somewhat useful, though the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic eras are of very limited used. Human history occurs entirely in the Cenozoic era. This period falls witihin the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs of biohistory.	Links to other sites: WWW VL - Prehistory. Timeline: 200,000-4000 BC Ancient History Infoplease.com Wikipedia - Paleolithic Wikipeda - Recent African Origins Wikipedia - Early Homo Sapiens Wikipedia - Early Human migrations Timelines of History- 1 Million to 3300 BC
Personal studies Knowledge of the human body, including body systems, body functions, life cycle, disease, and form and apparance is indirectly useful, as some skeletal remains have been dated to this period. Psychology including behavioral elements, mind, behavior patterns, developmental psychology, mental disorders, personality, and social psychology can be examined only indirectly, through skeletal remains and other life forms. Nothing is known of biography in this period. Anthropology Social foundations such as social presentation, social interaction, social control, group types, group behavior may be somewhat useful. Demography is somewhat useful. There is little direct evidence of rates of birth, migration, or death or population size and population change. In this period, any available figures are estimates. This period is closely connected to physical anthropology. This period overlaps with studies of human origins. These connections include racial variation and dispersion. Human ecology including environmental effects on people is highly important. Relationships with other life can be considered. Human effects on the environment seem to have been fairly minimal. Human geography includes parts of Oceania. Asia including Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and North Asia is also important. European geography including Balkan, Iberian, Italian, Northwest European, Island, Central European, East European, and Scandinavian geography can be considered. African geography including Northern Africa, Eastern Africa, North Central Africa, Western Africa, South Central Africa, and Southern Africa will be significant. As far as is known, human population did not extend to the Americas. Nothing is known of particular groups in this period. Culture Material culture is best known. Industrial technology consisted primarily of stone tools and possibly the use of fire. Foodstuffs were principally direct natural edible products, and included a minimum of processing or preservation, or preparation. Shelter often consisted of caves. There was little if any building, and I have little evidence of materials, structures, furnishings, or outdoor buildings. Whether clothing was worn is uncertain, but probably consisted mostly of skins. Garments and articles of adornment are uncertain. Transportation included few vessels, and was mostly limited to land transportation, with water transportation somewhat conjectural. Communication was vocal. Other artifacts are unknown. Evidence of conceptual culture is scanty. There is limited evidence of graphic arts. There is no literature from this period. Mathematics, applied science, and philosophy from this period are equally scanty. Language is unknown for this period. There is uncertain evidence from linguistic studies. There was no known writing, and languages of the world cannot be traced with any certainty this far. Behavioral culture including occupations, recreation and entertainment, and cultural events is also little known. Customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, social interaction customs, dress and adornment customs, and institutional customs can be used to consider possible developments of this period. Institutions Details are highly speculative in this period. Families including marriage, parenting, kinship, and particular families seem to have been rudimentary in this period. Education was also rudimentary. Research and discovery was slow, and teaching must informal. There is no evidence of cultural institutions, educational organization, or particular schools. Economics including economic activites, industries, and economic systems are little known. Government including law, government activities, government structure, and particular government would have been rudimentary. As far as can be determined, Religion including religious beliefs, practice, organization, and particular religions would have been rudimentary. Sociology Studies of social structure and change may be useful in investigating this period. Social structure including anthropological structure, cultural structure, institutional structure, racial and ethnic structure must have been rudimentary. Social types were limited to principally hunting and gathering societies. Social changes including social change factors, social change processes, and particular changes can be identified. Remains of various communities have been found, but these are small. Few if any of the large cities of today can be traced to this period. Peoples of the earth may also be helpful in investigating this period, since many investigations are organized and conducted on the basis of nations, although the major civilizations familiar from later times probably did not exist. Thailand, France, Congo, UK, Italy, and South Korea can be examined. Asian civilization probably did not exist in anything like its modern form. I know little about Iran during this period. There are some fossil remains in the Middle East. I know little of Turkey during this period. I have little specific information about Egypt. Whether South Asian peoples existed as such is obscure. India has a few fossil remains that date to this period. I know nothing of Pakistan in this period. I know nothing of Bangladesh in this period. Whether Oriental peoples existed as such is obscure. Studies from China are relevant and remains from this period include so-called Peking Man. Japan was probably uninhabited during this period. In Southeast Asia, There are some remains from Indonesia, know as Java Man, which date to this period. I know nothing of the Philippines during this period. I know nothing of Vietnam in this period. Western civilization also probably did not exist in anything like its modern form. I know nothing of Germany from this period. I know nothing of Northeast Europe during this period. I know nothing of Russia in this period. African peoples are obscure, although it is believed by physical anthropologists that human beings originated here. Some of the earliest traces of mdern man are found in Ethiopia. I know I know little of West African peoples including Nigeria in this period. The Americas are believed to have been uninhabited. Other History This is connected most directly to middle prehistory, which is better known. It has been re-examined in modern times, beginning chiefly in the 19th century and continuing in the 20th century.

This period of human history overlaps with part of that covered in physical and natural science. Physics and chemistry are only indirectly useful. Astronomy is somewhat useful. Solar system astronomy may be somewhat useful. Stellar astronomy is less directly useful. Galactic astronomy and cosmology are not directly useful.

Earth science including geology, hydrospheric science, atmospheric science, physical geography, is minimally useful. Geohistory is somewhat useful, though the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic eras are of very limited use. Human history occurs entirely in the Cenozoic Era. There are connections with the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs of geohistory.

Biology including molecular, cell, and organism biology, systematics, and ecology is also minimally useful. Biohistory is somewhat useful, though the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic eras are of very limited used. Human history occurs entirely in the Cenozoic era. This period falls witihin the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs of biohistory.

Personal studies

Knowledge of the human body, including body systems, body functions, life cycle, disease, and form and apparance is indirectly useful, as some skeletal remains have been dated to this period. Psychology including behavioral elements, mind, behavior patterns, developmental psychology, mental disorders, personality, and social psychology can be examined only indirectly, through skeletal remains and other life forms. Nothing is known of biography in this period.

Anthropology

Social foundations such as social presentation, social interaction, social control, group types, group behavior may be somewhat useful. Demography is somewhat useful. There is little direct evidence of rates of birth, migration, or death or population size and population change. In this period, any available figures are estimates. This period is closely connected to physical anthropology. This period overlaps with studies of human origins. These connections include racial variation and dispersion. Human ecology including environmental effects on people is highly important. Relationships with other life can be considered. Human effects on the environment seem to have been fairly minimal. Human geography includes parts of Oceania. Asia including Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and North Asia is also important. European geography including Balkan, Iberian, Italian, Northwest European, Island, Central European, East European, and Scandinavian geography can be considered. African geography including Northern Africa, Eastern Africa, North Central Africa, Western Africa, South Central Africa, and Southern Africa will be significant. As far as is known, human population did not extend to the Americas. Nothing is known of particular groups in this period.

Culture

Material culture is best known. Industrial technology consisted primarily of stone tools and possibly the use of fire. Foodstuffs were principally direct natural edible products, and included a minimum of processing or preservation, or preparation. Shelter often consisted of caves. There was little if any building, and I have little evidence of materials, structures, furnishings, or outdoor buildings. Whether clothing was worn is uncertain, but probably consisted mostly of skins. Garments and articles of adornment are uncertain. Transportation included few vessels, and was mostly limited to land transportation, with water transportation somewhat conjectural. Communication was vocal. Other artifacts are unknown.

Evidence of conceptual culture is scanty. There is limited evidence of graphic arts. There is no literature from this period. Mathematics, applied science, and philosophy from this period are equally scanty. Language is unknown for this period. There is uncertain evidence from linguistic studies. There was no known writing, and languages of the world cannot be traced with any certainty this far.

Behavioral culture including occupations, recreation and entertainment, and cultural events is also little known. Customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, social interaction customs, dress and adornment customs, and institutional customs can be used to consider possible developments of this period.

Institutions

Details are highly speculative in this period. Families including marriage, parenting, kinship, and particular families seem to have been rudimentary in this period. Education was also rudimentary. Research and discovery was slow, and teaching must informal. There is no evidence of cultural institutions, educational organization, or particular schools. Economics including economic activites, industries, and economic systems are little known. Government including law, government activities, government structure, and particular government would have been rudimentary. As far as can be determined, Religion including religious beliefs, practice, organization, and particular religions would have been rudimentary.

Sociology

Studies of social structure and change may be useful in investigating this period. Social structure including anthropological structure, cultural structure, institutional structure, racial and ethnic structure must have been rudimentary. Social types were limited to principally hunting and gathering societies. Social changes including social change factors, social change processes, and particular changes can be identified.

Remains of various communities have been found, but these are small. Few if any of the large cities of today can be traced to this period.

Peoples of the earth may also be helpful in investigating this period, since many investigations are organized and conducted on the basis of nations, although the major civilizations familiar from later times probably did not exist. Thailand, France, Congo, UK, Italy, and South Korea can be examined.

Asian civilization probably did not exist in anything like its modern form. I know little about Iran during this period. There are some fossil remains in the Middle East. I know little of Turkey during this period. I have little specific information about Egypt. Whether South Asian peoples existed as such is obscure. India has a few fossil remains that date to this period. I know nothing of Pakistan in this period. I know nothing of Bangladesh in this period. Whether Oriental peoples existed as such is obscure. Studies from China are relevant and remains from this period include so-called Peking Man. Japan was probably uninhabited during this period. In Southeast Asia, There are some remains from Indonesia, know as Java Man, which date to this period. I know nothing of the Philippines during this period. I know nothing of Vietnam in this period.

Western civilization also probably did not exist in anything like its modern form. I know nothing of Germany from this period. I know nothing of Northeast Europe during this period. I know nothing of Russia in this period.

African peoples are obscure, although it is believed by physical anthropologists that human beings originated here. Some of the earliest traces of mdern man are found in Ethiopia. I know I know little of West African peoples including Nigeria in this period. The Americas are believed to have been uninhabited.

Other History

This is connected most directly to middle prehistory, which is better known. It has been re-examined in modern times, beginning chiefly in the 19th century and continuing in the 20th century.