Vorgeschichte

Vorgeschichte, literally "before history," is a term used in archaeology and related disciplines to describe the portion of human past that predates written records. In German-speaking scholarship the word is often paired with Urgeschichte, though usage varies: some writers treat Urgeschichte as the earliest, pre-literate interval, while Vorgeschichte covers the broader stretch from early prehistory through the advent of documentation in a given region.

The scope of Vorgeschichte depends on regional chronologies but generally includes the major prehistoric phases: the Stone Age (Altsteinzeit), followed by the Mesolithic and Neolithic, and later the Bronze and Iron Ages when applicable. In Europe these phases are commonly aligned with the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. The end of Vorgeschichte is typically marked by the appearance of written sources—texts, inscriptions, or legal documents—which allow historians to analyze events using textual evidence.

Researchers study Vorgeschichte primarily through material remains: tools, pottery, settlements, art, and burial practices, as well as paleoenvironmental data. Methods include radiocarbon dating, stratigraphy, typology, and comparative archaeology, often integrating archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, and genetics.

In education and museums, Vorgeschichte is the prehistory section that prepares visitors for the study of earlier societies and the transition to known historical periods. The term thus serves as a bridge between human evolution and recorded history, illustrating how cultures developed long before written language.