Middle Prehistory


This period will be divided into periods of about 10,000 years, called decamillennia. The dates are approximate and are called BP (Before Present), Present being arbitrarily defined as 2000 CE, although in much of the literature, 1950 is used as the starting date, for technical reasons. To be specific, the 5th decamillennium BP, 4th decamillennium BP, 3rd decamillennium BP, and 2nd decamillennium BP are considered here. The 1st decamillennium begins at 8000 BC and is thus covered in later periods. Many of the events and dates of this period are uncertain, since estimates and terminology vary among sources.	Sapience Home Site Map About Sapience History Prehistory 5th Decamillennium BP 4th Decamillennium BP 3rd Decamillennium BP 2nd Decamillennium BP

This period will be divided into periods of about 10,000 years, called decamillennia. The dates are approximate and are called BP (Before Present), Present being arbitrarily defined as 2000 CE, although in much of the literature, 1950 is used as the starting date, for technical reasons.

To be specific, the 5th decamillennium BP, 4th decamillennium BP, 3rd decamillennium BP, and 2nd decamillennium BP are considered here. The 1st decamillennium begins at 8000 BC and is thus covered in later periods. Many of the events and dates of this period are uncertain, since estimates and terminology vary among sources.

5th decamillennium BP (50,000 - 40,000 years ago)

4th decamillennium BP (40,000 - 30,000 BP)

c. 37,000 Upper Paleolothic culture along North African peoples

c. 36,000. Upper Paleolithic cultures in Iran.

c. 35,000 Chatelperronian culture in Europe, associated with Neanderthal man.

c. 34,000 Aurignacian (Upper Paleolithic) culture arose in Europe.

c. 34,000 Upper Paleolithic cultures in Levant

c. 32,000 Upper Paleolithic cultures in Italy and Iberia, North west African coast.

3rd decamillennium BP (30,000 - 20,000 years ago)

c. 29,000 Chatelperronian culture, associated with Neanderthal man, came to an end.

c. 28-27,000 Gravettian (upper Paleolithic culture) arose in Europe.

c. 26,000 - Ice free passage into Americas, possible early settlement.

c. 23,000 Approximate end of Aurignacian culture in Europe.

c. 22,000 Approximate end of Gravettian culture in Europe

C. 21,000 Approximate beginning of Solutrean culture

2nd Decamillennium BP (20,000 - 10,000 years ago)

This includes events of the second Decamillennium BP, that is the second ten thousand years, from about 20,000 years before present (2000), to about 10,000 years before present.

This includes the end of what is called in geological chronology the Pleistocene Epoch, and the beginning of the Holocene epoch. In more popular terminology, this includes the last Ice age.


Other History Other Prehistory This is preceded by early prehistory including the Pliocene, early Pleistocene, early mid Pleistocene, late mid Pleistocene, and late Pleistocene. It is followed by late prehistory including the early 8th millennium BC, late 8th millennium BC, early 7th millennium BC, late 7th millennium BC, early 6th millennium BC, and late 6th millennium BC.	Links to other sites: Not yet developed.
This somewhat considered in antiquity, although I have little information about the 5th millennium BC, the 4th millennium BC, the 3rd millennium BC, the 2nd millennium BC, and the early 1st millennium BC. The examination in classical and medieval times including early classical times can be connected. Late classical history including the 1st century CE, 2nd century CE, 3rd century CE, 4th century CE, and 5th century CE can be connected. Early medieval times including the 6th century, 7th century, 8th century, 9th century, and 10th century can be connected. Late medieval history including the 11th century, 12th century, 13th century, 14th century, and 15th century can be connected. Modern history In the 16th century including the early 16th century, early mid 16th century, mid 16th century, late mid 16th century, and late 16th century, remains of this period were mostly undiscovered. The 17th century including the early 17th century, early mid 17th century, mid 17th century, late mid 17th century, and late 17th century can be connected. The 18th century including the early 18th century, early mid 18th century, mid 19th century, late mid 18th century, and late 18th century can be connected. In the 19th century, when modern archeology had begun, remains of this period were found, such as cave paintings at Altamira in 1879. The early 19th century, early mid 19th century, mid 19th century, late mid 19th century, and late 19th century can be connected. In the 20th century, this period has been better investigated, though details of the early 20th century and early mid 20th century can be connected. The mid 20th century including the early 1940s, late 1940s, early 1950s, and late 1950s can be connected. The late mid 20th century including the early 1960s, late 1960s, early 1970s, and late 1970s can be connected. Development of the late 20th century including the early 1980s, late 1980s, early 1990s, and late 1990s are not quite clear at present. Current developments of the early 21st century including the early 2000s are not yet clear. The late 2000s including 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 can be connected. The early 2010s including 2011 and 2012 can be connected. The future of these studies including the near future, middle future, and far future is obscure. Sociology Peoples of the world, communities, and social structure and change can be used to examine the 5th decamillennium BP, 4th decamillennium BP, 3rd decamillennium BP, and 2nd decamillennium BP. Institutions Religion Particular religions seem to be mostly of the pagan variety, and the roots of European pagan, Asian pagan, African pagan, and American Indian pagan religion can be considered. Evidence for Abrahamic religion, Asiatic religion, and secularism is scanty. Religious organization would be tied closely to particular communities. Highly structured, fragmented, and losely structured varieties can be considered. Religious practice might be considered. Religious beliefs may be considered. Government The presence of government can only be inferred from limited material evidence, and few conclusions can be made except that it was not highly developed or complex. No particular governments dating to this period have survived, although local government can be considered. Government activity including state relations, administration, and succession is not well known. Government structure including government forms, heads of state, executive systems, legislative systems, judicial systems, and political parties and interest groups was presumably quite simple compared to later times. Law including Asiatic law and Tribal law must have been mostly based on custom. Economics Economic systems including economic system behavior, economic system types, networks and firms might be connected. Industries including commercial and financial, communication, transporation, social and medical services, building, manufacturing and extraction, and food-related seem to have been at an early and unspecialized stage. Economic activity including consumption, distribution and exchange, and production can be considered. Education Schools including higher education, secondary education, and primary education can be mostly indirectly connected. Educational organization including administration, faculty, students, and course material seems to be indirectly connected. Cultural institutions including performance venues, libraries, and museums seem to be indirectly connected. Teaching can be connected. Research can be connected. Family Particular families might be connected. Kinship can be connected. Parenting might be connected. Marriage can be connected. Culture Behavioral culture Cultural events such as holidays, disasters, gatherings, and other events might be connected. Recreation and entertainment including sports, games, theater, dance, and music can be connected. Occupations including food-related, building-related, transportation related, communication related, industrial, and service occupations can be connected. Information about customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, dress and adornment customs, social interaction customs, and institutional customs is scanty and derived largely from studies of material culture. Conceptual culture Philosophy including philosophical schools and doctrines, special topics, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, epistemology, and logic may be applicable. Applied science including applied social science, accounting, information science, medical science, navigation, engineering science, and measurement might be connected. Mathematics including statistics, geometry, analysis, algebra, arithmetic, and mathematical foundations can be connected. Literature including literary works, types and genres, and literary forms had not developed, except for oral tradition, but may be applicable from later times. Graphic arts including animation, photography, printmaking, painting, and drawing can be connected. Language including linguistics, writing, and languages of the world may be significant, but is difficult to reconstruct. This relies most heavily on studies of material culture, including buildings and industrial technology. Miscellaneous artifacts including sculpture, toys, musical instruments, and medical implements might be connected. Communications technology including electronic, written, and graphic communication might be connected. Transportation technology including water transportation, land transportation, and packaging can be connected. Clothing including adornment, garments, and textiles can be connected. Foodstuffs including prepared foods, preserved and processed foods, and raw foods can be connected. Anthropology I have no information on specific groups of this period. Human geography is also significant. Connections to Europe can be found. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and North Asia is important. Africa, North America, South America, and Oceania can also be considered. Human ecology including environmental effects on humans, relations with other life human effects on the environment is also significant. Physical anthropology such as human origins, racial variation, and human dispersion is an important part of studies in this period. Information about demography including birth, death, migration, population size and structure, and population change is limited, though useful. Social foundations including social group behavior, social group types, social control, social interaction, and social presentation may be connected. Personal studies I have no biographies of this period. Psychology including social psychology, personality, mental disorders, developmental psychology, behavior patterns, mind, and behavioral elements seems less directly useful than other areas of study. Knowledge of the human body, including body systems, body functions, disease, life cycle, and form and appearance is useful and related to skeletons and remains dated to this period. Physical and natural science Biology is useful, although molecular biology, cell biology, and organism biology are possibly less useful than systematics and ecology. Biohistory is also somewhat useful. Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic life can be ignored, and again, only the Cenozoic is significant. Earth science is useful and includes examination of geology, hydrospheric science, atmospheric science, and physical geography. Geohistory is somewhat useful. Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic events can be ignored, only the Cenozoic is significant. Astronomy is a little more useful, although cosmology and galactic astronomy are probably not very useful. Stellar astronomy and solar system astronomy can possibly be connected. Chemistry including chemical systems, chemical change, and chemical substances can be connected. Physics including the structure of matter, modern physics, electronmagnetism, thermodynamics, and mechanics can be connected.

Other History

Other Prehistory

This is preceded by early prehistory including the Pliocene, early Pleistocene, early mid Pleistocene, late mid Pleistocene, and late Pleistocene.

It is followed by late prehistory including the early 8th millennium BC, late 8th millennium BC, early 7th millennium BC, late 7th millennium BC, early 6th millennium BC, and late 6th millennium BC.

Links to other sites: Not yet developed.

This somewhat considered in antiquity, although I have little information about the 5th millennium BC, the 4th millennium BC, the 3rd millennium BC, the 2nd millennium BC, and the early 1st millennium BC.

The examination in classical and medieval times including early classical times can be connected. Late classical history including the 1st century CE, 2nd century CE, 3rd century CE, 4th century CE, and 5th century CE can be connected. Early medieval times including the 6th century, 7th century, 8th century, 9th century, and 10th century can be connected. Late medieval history including the 11th century, 12th century, 13th century, 14th century, and 15th century can be connected.

Modern history

In the 16th century including the early 16th century, early mid 16th century, mid 16th century, late mid 16th century, and late 16th century, remains of this period were mostly undiscovered. The 17th century including the early 17th century, early mid 17th century, mid 17th century, late mid 17th century, and late 17th century can be connected. The 18th century including the early 18th century, early mid 18th century, mid 19th century, late mid 18th century, and late 18th century can be connected. In the 19th century, when modern archeology had begun, remains of this period were found, such as cave paintings at Altamira in 1879. The early 19th century, early mid 19th century, mid 19th century, late mid 19th century, and late 19th century can be connected.

In the 20th century, this period has been better investigated, though details of the early 20th century and early mid 20th century can be connected. The mid 20th century including the early 1940s, late 1940s, early 1950s, and late 1950s can be connected. The late mid 20th century including the early 1960s, late 1960s, early 1970s, and late 1970s can be connected. Development of the late 20th century including the early 1980s, late 1980s, early 1990s, and late 1990s are not quite clear at present.

Current developments of the early 21st century including the early 2000s are not yet clear. The late 2000s including 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 can be connected. The early 2010s including 2011 and 2012 can be connected.

The future of these studies including the near future, middle future, and far future is obscure.

Sociology

Peoples of the world, communities, and social structure and change can be used to examine the 5th decamillennium BP, 4th decamillennium BP, 3rd decamillennium BP, and 2nd decamillennium BP.

Institutions

Religion

Particular religions seem to be mostly of the pagan variety, and the roots of European pagan, Asian pagan, African pagan, and American Indian pagan religion can be considered. Evidence for Abrahamic religion, Asiatic religion, and secularism is scanty. Religious organization would be tied closely to particular communities. Highly structured, fragmented, and losely structured varieties can be considered. Religious practice might be considered. Religious beliefs may be considered.

Government

The presence of government can only be inferred from limited material evidence, and few conclusions can be made except that it was not highly developed or complex. No particular governments dating to this period have survived, although local government can be considered. Government activity including state relations, administration, and succession is not well known. Government structure including government forms, heads of state, executive systems, legislative systems, judicial systems, and political parties and interest groups was presumably quite simple compared to later times. Law including Asiatic law and Tribal law must have been mostly based on custom.

Economics

Economic systems including economic system behavior, economic system types, networks and firms might be connected. Industries including commercial and financial, communication, transporation, social and medical services, building, manufacturing and extraction, and food-related seem to have been at an early and unspecialized stage. Economic activity including consumption, distribution and exchange, and production can be considered.

Education

Schools including higher education, secondary education, and primary education can be mostly indirectly connected. Educational organization including administration, faculty, students, and course material seems to be indirectly connected. Cultural institutions including performance venues, libraries, and museums seem to be indirectly connected. Teaching can be connected. Research can be connected.

Family

Particular families might be connected. Kinship can be connected. Parenting might be connected. Marriage can be connected.

Culture

Behavioral culture

Cultural events such as holidays, disasters, gatherings, and other events might be connected. Recreation and entertainment including sports, games, theater, dance, and music can be connected. Occupations including food-related, building-related, transportation related, communication related, industrial, and service occupations can be connected. Information about customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, dress and adornment customs, social interaction customs, and institutional customs is scanty and derived largely from studies of material culture.

Conceptual culture

Philosophy including philosophical schools and doctrines, special topics, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, epistemology, and logic may be applicable. Applied science including applied social science, accounting, information science, medical science, navigation, engineering science, and measurement might be connected. Mathematics including statistics, geometry, analysis, algebra, arithmetic, and mathematical foundations can be connected. Literature including literary works, types and genres, and literary forms had not developed, except for oral tradition, but may be applicable from later times. Graphic arts including animation, photography, printmaking, painting, and drawing can be connected. Language including linguistics, writing, and languages of the world may be significant, but is difficult to reconstruct.

This relies most heavily on studies of material culture, including buildings and industrial technology. Miscellaneous artifacts including sculpture, toys, musical instruments, and medical implements might be connected. Communications technology including electronic, written, and graphic communication might be connected. Transportation technology including water transportation, land transportation, and packaging can be connected. Clothing including adornment, garments, and textiles can be connected. Foodstuffs including prepared foods, preserved and processed foods, and raw foods can be connected.

Anthropology

I have no information on specific groups of this period. Human geography is also significant. Connections to Europe can be found. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and North Asia is important. Africa, North America, South America, and Oceania can also be considered. Human ecology including environmental effects on humans, relations with other life human effects on the environment is also significant. Physical anthropology such as human origins, racial variation, and human dispersion is an important part of studies in this period. Information about demography including birth, death, migration, population size and structure, and population change is limited, though useful. Social foundations including social group behavior, social group types, social control, social interaction, and social presentation may be connected.

Personal studies

I have no biographies of this period.

Psychology including social psychology, personality, mental disorders, developmental psychology, behavior patterns, mind, and behavioral elements seems less directly useful than other areas of study.

Knowledge of the human body, including body systems, body functions, disease, life cycle, and form and appearance is useful and related to skeletons and remains dated to this period.

Physical and natural science

Biology is useful, although molecular biology, cell biology, and organism biology are possibly less useful than systematics and ecology. Biohistory is also somewhat useful. Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic life can be ignored, and again, only the Cenozoic is significant. Earth science is useful and includes examination of geology, hydrospheric science, atmospheric science, and physical geography. Geohistory is somewhat useful. Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic events can be ignored, only the Cenozoic is significant. Astronomy is a little more useful, although cosmology and galactic astronomy are probably not very useful. Stellar astronomy and solar system astronomy can possibly be connected. Chemistry including chemical systems, chemical change, and chemical substances can be connected. Physics including the structure of matter, modern physics, electronmagnetism, thermodynamics, and mechanics can be connected.