Prehistory


This section deals with the earliest history of humankind as it has been and is being reconstructed from studies of archaeology and anthropology. The divisions are approximate, with considerable undertainty about the dates involved. The divisions are early, middle, and late prehistory. As details are added from archaological and anthropological studies, this picture of the human past is likely to change and become clearer, although the broad outlines are reasonably well established. Early and middle prehistory dates are given in years before present (2000), while beginning with late prehistory, the regular modern calendar is used, so that 8,000 BC corresponds to 10,000 years before present.	Sapience Home Site Map About Sapience History

This section deals with the earliest history of humankind as it has been and is being reconstructed from studies of archaeology and anthropology. The divisions are approximate, with considerable undertainty about the dates involved. The divisions are early, middle, and late prehistory. As details are added from archaological and anthropological studies, this picture of the human past is likely to change and become clearer, although the broad outlines are reasonably well established.

Early and middle prehistory dates are given in years before present (2000), while beginning with late prehistory, the regular modern calendar is used, so that 8,000 BC corresponds to 10,000 years before present.

History

Early prehistory(Before 50,000 years ago)

This period includes the development of human kind as accepted by anthropologists. Divisions will include the Pliocene from 5 million to 2 million years ago, when Australopithecines were predominant. The Early pleistocene from 2 million to 1 million years ago includes species now called Homo Habilis. The middle Pleistocene, from 1 million to 500, 000 years ago includes species now called Homo Erectus. A later Pleistocene from 500,000 to 100,000 years ago includes what is called Neanderthal man. From 100,000 to 50,000 years ago are the earliest known origins of what is called anatomically modern man.

Middle prehistory (50,000 - 10,000) years ago

The oldest known remains of anatomically and culturally modern man, as far as I have been able to determine, date from about 40-35,000 years ago, in North Africa and Iran. Between 35-30,000 years ago, there was still evidence of Neanderthal man in Europe, but Cro-Magnon cultures appeared there, as well as somewhat similar cultures in the Middle East. Between 30-25,000 years ago, Neandarthal man disappeared from the archeologial record, but the record concerning other stone age cultures is somewhat scanty. Between 25-20,000 years ago, cultures were still considered upper stone age. There may have been limited migration into the Americas. Between 20-15,000 years ago, modern man spread into Australia. Between 15-10 thousand years ago, the last ice age was coming to an end. Cultures called Mesolithic (middle stone age) were arising in Europe and the Middle East, while China, Japan, and central Asia were being inhabited. It is generally thought that the Americas were first populated during this period, by way of a fairly short-lived land bridge from Asia.

Late prehistory (8000 BC - 5000 BC)

The dating scheme shifts in this period, to the conventional historical periods. From about 8000 BC to about 7500 BC, Neolithic (New stone age) cultures developed in the Middle East. There is evidence of domestication of sheep and goats, and the beginnings of settled agriculture. From about 7500 BC to 7000 BC, these development continued, notably at Jericho (in modern Palestine), but also in other areas. From 7000 to 6500 BC, Pottery and weaving appeared in the archeological record. Between 6500 and 6000 BC, Settlement at Jericho delined, but the site called Catal Huyuk in modern Turkey) became prominent. From 6000 BC to 5500 BC, islands in the Eastern Mediterranean were first settled, farming began in Southeast Europe, and at Halaf in Mesopitamia, and animal and plant domestication began in the New World. From 5500 BC to 5000 BC, Farming apeared in Italy and southwest Europe and along the Nile River, appeared further south at Hassuna in Mesopotamia, and at Samarra in southern Mesopotamia, irrigated farming made its appearance.


Other History Events of this period are followed immediately by antiquity, specifically the 5th Millennium BC. Information about it was increasingly lost in later periods of antiquity. Some information about prehistory was probably lost and forgotten in the classical and medieval period. The early classical, late classical, early medieval and late medieval history can be considered. This subject has been extensively studied in the modern period. Biblical and classical sources were taken for granted in the 16th and 17th centuries. This period was much discussed during the enlightenment of the 18th century, including the early 18th century, early mid 18th century, mid 18th century, late-mid 18th century, and late 18th century. The modern sciences of anthropology and archaeology developed in the 19th century. I have little information on their development in the early 19th century. In the early-mid 19th century, a three-age classification of artifacts (stone, bronze, iron) was a significant step in organizing archaeological informations. In the mid-19th century, the discovery of Neanderthal man in 1857 marks a beginning of one kind. This helped stir interest in the subject. In the late mid 19th century, Darwin's publication of "the Descent of Man" in 1871 was an important step in scientific anthropology. In the late 19th century, prehistoric anthropology became increasingly significant. This has developed even more in the 20th century. In the early 20th century, archeological methods began to develop, and in the early-mid 20th century, developed even more. In the mid 20th century, the introduction of radiocarbon dating made more accurate chronologies of late prehistory, and in the late-mid 20th century, methods appropriate to dating of earlier remains were found, as well as major new discoveries. such as "Lucy" in 1974.	Links to other sites History of Archaeology- Wikipedia US Census Bureau - Historical Estimates of World Population HistoryWiz - The Ancient World. This is rather weak on prehistory. 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
In the late 20th century including the early 1980s, late 1980s, early 1990s, and late 1990s developments are still new. Developments of the early 21st century are not yet well known. The early 2000s and late 2000s including 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 will be useful. The best information has been slow to make it to the general public, and there is a great deal of confusion and misinformation about prehistory. The future of these studies is obscure. The near future including next month, next quarter, and next year, the middle future, and the far future is obscure. Sociology Prehistory depends heavily on sociology. Peoples of the world are highly important. Most communities of this period were small and do not appear on a list of major cities. Principles of social structure and change are especially important in examination of this period. Institutions The social institutions can be used to examine early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory, although modern institutions often influence investigations of this period. Religion is somewhat speculative in this period. It is not clear to what extent it was important in early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory, and speculation needs to be done with caution. Particular religions are difficult to identify during early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory, and modern religions influence interpretation of the results. Religions during this period seem to have been mostly pagan, and include European pagan, Asiatic pagan, African, and American Indian varieties. There is an apparent conflict with what has been discovered about this period using methods of archeology and the traditions of Abrahamic religion including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There is less conflict with Asiatic or secularist views. Religious organization may have been unstructured, fragmented, or highly structured. I know little of specific practices or beliefs. Government is also small-scale and somewhat speculative. It is not clear to what extent it existed or was important in early prehistory, middle prehistory, or late prehistory, although modern governments sometimes influence study of this period. Particular governments can be considered. international governments and national governments sometimes sponsor studies of this period. Governments of the period are most likely to have been local. The origins of government activities, government structure, and law are obscure. Economics is also somewhat speculative. economic systems and Industries are important. Economic activities including production, exchange and distribution, and consumption are important. Education during this period seems to have been mostly informal, however, modern particular schools, educational organization, cultural institutions, teaching, and research that deal with this period are significant. Details of families including particular families, kinship, parenting, and marriage are at least somewhat speculative. Culture Culture can be applied to and used in the study of early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory. Behavioral culture during this period is not well known, but it may be used in examining early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory. Cultural events such as holidays, disasters, gatherings, and miscellaneous events are obscure and only indirectly useful. Some information about recreation and entertainment including dance, music, theater, games, and sports can be gathered. Information about occupations including food-related, building-related, transportation, communication, industrial, and service occupations can also be identified. Information about Customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, dress and adornment, social interaction, and institutional customs can be somewhat inferred from material culture and examples of living people. Only fragmentary knowlege of conceptual culture such as philosophy or applied science survives. Mathematics is unknown, except possibly for arithmetic and counting. Literature did not exist except in the form of oral traditions and stories. Literary forms and genres and specific literary works do not really apply, except to secondary literature about this period. Graphic arts include drawing and painting: Printmaking, photography, and computer graphics were later invntions, but may be applied to studies of this period. Information on language including linguistics, writing, and languages of the world is scanty. Material culture has survived better than other areas. Miscellaneous artifacts including toys, weaponry, medicine, musical instruments, and sculpture during this period seem to be rather scanty. There is little evidence of communication technology other than perhaps drawing. Transportation devices were limited to vessels and to land and water transportation. Clothing including fabrics, garments, and accessories is also important. Foodstuffs including agricultural (or natural) products, processed and preserved foods, and prepared foods are significant. Building techology including materials, building components, furnishings, complete buildings, and outdoor structures have been identified. Industrial technology includes tools, fuel, and rudiments of chemical technology, but no machinery, utilities, or other technology. Anthropology This will be useful in examination of early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory. Particular groups are not as useful as I would like. Human geography including South America and Oceania is also highly significant. Africa including North Africa, Eastern Africa, Western Africa, North Central Africa, South Central Africa, and Southern Africa can be considered. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and North Asia is significant. European geography including Balkan, Italian, Iberian, Northwestern, Island, Central, Eastern, and Scandinavian geography is important. North America including Southern North America, Middle North America, and Northern North America is useful. Human ecology can be connected. Human impact on the environment otherwise seems to have been fairly minimal. It is speculated that hunting by prehistoric man contributed to the extinction of large ice-age mammals in North America, an example of the connection with the influence of man on the environment. Connections with other life forms includes the domestication of animals and plants. Environmental influence on people is the most easily examined. Physical anthropology is also important. Problems of human dispersion may fall within this period. Racial variation also falls with this period. The subject of human origins somewhat overlaps prehistory. Demography including the study of birth and fertility, migration, morbidity and mortality, population structure, and population change will also be significant. World population at 10,000 BC is estimated at 1 million to 10 million people: By 5000 BC it is estimated at 5 million to 20 million people. Social foundations which further includes social interaction, social control, group behavior, and types of groups will be significant. Social presentation will be somewhat useful. Personal studies Biography is not as useful as it is for later periods because of the lack of records. Psychology including subjects of behavioral elements, mind, behavior patterns, mental disorders, personality, and social psychology is also difficult to apply, since there are no living subjects and no historical records. Studies of the human body such as body function, disease, life cycle, and form and appearance are generally considered at too low a level of detail for historical studies, and are usually considered indirectly through physical anthropology. Body systems including structural componients are most easily preserved. Vital, reporductive, and control systems can be examined only indirectly. Physical and natural science Biology is also somewhat useful in studies of prehistory. Biohistory is also connected, although the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic eras ended long before humans appeared in the fossil record. Human history is entirely contained in the Cenozoic era. There are connections with the Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene Epochs. Ecology, systematics, organism biology, cell biology, and molecular biology are also significant. Earth science is also important. Geohistory is more directly useful, although the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozic periods are not particularly relevant: Human prehistory is entirely contained in the Cenozoic. There are connections with the Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene epochs. Physical geography, atmospheric science, hydrospheric science, and geology are also useful. Astronomy is also indirectly significant. Solar system astronomy is somewhat applicable to human prehistory. The sun, solar planetary systems, minor bodies, interplanetary medium, and solar system history will also be somewhat useful. Stellar atronomy, galactic astronomy, and cosmology are at best indirectly applicable. Chemistry and physics do not seem to be directly significant to prehistory.

Other History

Events of this period are followed immediately by antiquity, specifically the 5th Millennium BC. Information about it was increasingly lost in later periods of antiquity. Some information about prehistory was probably lost and forgotten in the classical and medieval period. The early classical, late classical, early medieval and late medieval history can be considered.

This subject has been extensively studied in the modern period. Biblical and classical sources were taken for granted in the 16th and 17th centuries. This period was much discussed during the enlightenment of the 18th century, including the early 18th century, early mid 18th century, mid 18th century, late-mid 18th century, and late 18th century. The modern sciences of anthropology and archaeology developed in the 19th century. I have little information on their development in the early 19th century. In the early-mid 19th century, a three-age classification of artifacts (stone, bronze, iron) was a significant step in organizing archaeological informations. In the mid-19th century, the discovery of Neanderthal man in 1857 marks a beginning of one kind. This helped stir interest in the subject. In the late mid 19th century, Darwin's publication of "the Descent of Man" in 1871 was an important step in scientific anthropology. In the late 19th century, prehistoric anthropology became increasingly significant. This has developed even more in the 20th century. In the early 20th century, archeological methods began to develop, and in the early-mid 20th century, developed even more. In the mid 20th century, the introduction of radiocarbon dating made more accurate chronologies of late prehistory, and in the late-mid 20th century, methods appropriate to dating of earlier remains were found, as well as major new discoveries. such as "Lucy" in 1974.

Links to other sites
History of Archaeology- Wikipedia
US Census Bureau - Historical Estimates of World Population
HistoryWiz - The Ancient World. This is rather weak on prehistory.
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

In the late 20th century including the early 1980s, late 1980s, early 1990s, and late 1990s developments are still new. Developments of the early 21st century are not yet well known. The early 2000s and late 2000s including 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 will be useful. The best information has been slow to make it to the general public, and there is a great deal of confusion and misinformation about prehistory.

The future of these studies is obscure. The near future including next month, next quarter, and next year, the middle future, and the far future is obscure.

Sociology

Prehistory depends heavily on sociology. Peoples of the world are highly important. Most communities of this period were small and do not appear on a list of major cities. Principles of social structure and change are especially important in examination of this period.

Institutions

The social institutions can be used to examine early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory, although modern institutions often influence investigations of this period.

Religion is somewhat speculative in this period. It is not clear to what extent it was important in early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory, and speculation needs to be done with caution. Particular religions are difficult to identify during early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory, and modern religions influence interpretation of the results. Religions during this period seem to have been mostly pagan, and include European pagan, Asiatic pagan, African, and American Indian varieties. There is an apparent conflict with what has been discovered about this period using methods of archeology and the traditions of Abrahamic religion including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There is less conflict with Asiatic or secularist views. Religious organization may have been unstructured, fragmented, or highly structured. I know little of specific practices or beliefs.

Government is also small-scale and somewhat speculative. It is not clear to what extent it existed or was important in early prehistory, middle prehistory, or late prehistory, although modern governments sometimes influence study of this period. Particular governments can be considered. international governments and national governments sometimes sponsor studies of this period. Governments of the period are most likely to have been local. The origins of government activities, government structure, and law are obscure. Economics is also somewhat speculative. economic systems and Industries are important. Economic activities including production, exchange and distribution, and consumption are important. Education during this period seems to have been mostly informal, however, modern particular schools, educational organization, cultural institutions, teaching, and research that deal with this period are significant. Details of families including particular families, kinship, parenting, and marriage are at least somewhat speculative.

Culture

Culture can be applied to and used in the study of early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory. Behavioral culture during this period is not well known, but it may be used in examining early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory. Cultural events such as holidays, disasters, gatherings, and miscellaneous events are obscure and only indirectly useful. Some information about recreation and entertainment including dance, music, theater, games, and sports can be gathered. Information about occupations including food-related, building-related, transportation, communication, industrial, and service occupations can also be identified. Information about Customs including vital customs, living and dwelling customs, dress and adornment, social interaction, and institutional customs can be somewhat inferred from material culture and examples of living people.

Only fragmentary knowlege of conceptual culture such as philosophy or applied science survives. Mathematics is unknown, except possibly for arithmetic and counting. Literature did not exist except in the form of oral traditions and stories. Literary forms and genres and specific literary works do not really apply, except to secondary literature about this period. Graphic arts include drawing and painting: Printmaking, photography, and computer graphics were later invntions, but may be applied to studies of this period. Information on language including linguistics, writing, and languages of the world is scanty.

Material culture has survived better than other areas. Miscellaneous artifacts including toys, weaponry, medicine, musical instruments, and sculpture during this period seem to be rather scanty. There is little evidence of communication technology other than perhaps drawing. Transportation devices were limited to vessels and to land and water transportation. Clothing including fabrics, garments, and accessories is also important. Foodstuffs including agricultural (or natural) products, processed and preserved foods, and prepared foods are significant. Building techology including materials, building components, furnishings, complete buildings, and outdoor structures have been identified. Industrial technology includes tools, fuel, and rudiments of chemical technology, but no machinery, utilities, or other technology.

Anthropology

This will be useful in examination of early prehistory, middle prehistory, and late prehistory. Particular groups are not as useful as I would like. Human geography including South America and Oceania is also highly significant. Africa including North Africa, Eastern Africa, Western Africa, North Central Africa, South Central Africa, and Southern Africa can be considered. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and North Asia is significant. European geography including Balkan, Italian, Iberian, Northwestern, Island, Central, Eastern, and Scandinavian geography is important. North America including Southern North America, Middle North America, and Northern North America is useful. Human ecology can be connected. Human impact on the environment otherwise seems to have been fairly minimal. It is speculated that hunting by prehistoric man contributed to the extinction of large ice-age mammals in North America, an example of the connection with the influence of man on the environment. Connections with other life forms includes the domestication of animals and plants. Environmental influence on people is the most easily examined. Physical anthropology is also important. Problems of human dispersion may fall within this period. Racial variation also falls with this period. The subject of human origins somewhat overlaps prehistory. Demography including the study of birth and fertility, migration, morbidity and mortality, population structure, and population change will also be significant. World population at 10,000 BC is estimated at 1 million to 10 million people: By 5000 BC it is estimated at 5 million to 20 million people. Social foundations which further includes social interaction, social control, group behavior, and types of groups will be significant. Social presentation will be somewhat useful.

Personal studies

Biography is not as useful as it is for later periods because of the lack of records. Psychology including subjects of behavioral elements, mind, behavior patterns, mental disorders, personality, and social psychology is also difficult to apply, since there are no living subjects and no historical records. Studies of the human body such as body function, disease, life cycle, and form and appearance are generally considered at too low a level of detail for historical studies, and are usually considered indirectly through physical anthropology. Body systems including structural componients are most easily preserved. Vital, reporductive, and control systems can be examined only indirectly.

Physical and natural science

Biology is also somewhat useful in studies of prehistory. Biohistory is also connected, although the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic eras ended long before humans appeared in the fossil record. Human history is entirely contained in the Cenozoic era. There are connections with the Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene Epochs. Ecology, systematics, organism biology, cell biology, and molecular biology are also significant.

Earth science is also important. Geohistory is more directly useful, although the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozic periods are not particularly relevant: Human prehistory is entirely contained in the Cenozoic. There are connections with the Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene epochs. Physical geography, atmospheric science, hydrospheric science, and geology are also useful.

Astronomy is also indirectly significant. Solar system astronomy is somewhat applicable to human prehistory. The sun, solar planetary systems, minor bodies, interplanetary medium, and solar system history will also be somewhat useful. Stellar atronomy, galactic astronomy, and cosmology are at best indirectly applicable. Chemistry and physics do not seem to be directly significant to prehistory.

Top