prehistory

Prehistory is the span of human history before the invention or adoption of writing. It covers the long arc from the appearance of the first hominins and later human species to the emergence of writing in various regions, which marks the transition to recorded history. The exact chronology varies by region.

Because writing appeared at different times around the world, the boundaries of prehistory are regionally defined. In many places the period is subdivided into the Stone Age (including the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic) and, where present, the Bronze Age and Iron Age, all before written records. The dating and interpretation rely on material remains rather than texts.

Evidence for prehistory comes from archaeology, paleoanthropology, and related sciences. The most durable records are artifacts, such as stone tools and pottery, as well as fossil remains. Methods include stratigraphy, radiocarbon dating, luminescence dating, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Early humans and close relatives include Homo erectus, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens.

Key developments include the manufacture and refinement of stone tools (Oldowan, Acheulean, Mousterian; later blades and microliths in the Upper Paleolithic), the domestication of plants and animals in the Neolithic, and the rise of settled farming communities in regions like the Near East, East Asia, and the Americas. In some regions writing appears only after several millennia of agricultural and urban development, signaling the end of prehistory in those areas.

This article uses regional variation and cross-cultural timelines; prehistory is defined by absence of writing rather than by a single date. It remains a dynamic field, with ongoing discoveries shaping our understanding of human origins and prehistoric lifeways.