The 6 stages of prehistory

The development of our way of being and acting is partly influenced by our prehistory.

Egypt, Greece, Rome... we know a great deal about countless peoples and civilizations that preceded us, and whose role in the world ended up making our life what it is today. All this is mainly thanks to the invention of writing, which allowed us to record the events that occurred in the world. It is from the invention of writing that we can begin to talk about history. But what happened before that? What happened before human beings began to record in writing what happened in the world they lived in?

Of most of the events that our most remote ancestors lived through, everything that our species lived through before the invention of writing, we can only speculate through the analysis of bone and tool deposits, as well as a few artistic representations. Based on these elements, humans have tried to organize a timeline to help us understand our past, establishing different stages of prehistory.

The main stages of prehistory: what are they?

Human beings have been on earth for hundreds of thousands of years, leaving their mark. Since its appearance, our species has had to face countless dangers and has had to struggle to survive. Without written documents to determine the major events that occurred among peoples and tribes, historians, archaeologists and anthropologists have divided prehistory into different stages according to the tools and materials they used. have divided prehistory into different stages according to the tools and materials used by our ancestors. our ancestors used.

It is necessary to take into account, however, that depending on the region of the planet we are talking about, the development of new technologies and techniques may have taken place earlier or later, and there is a gap between the duration of the different ages depending on the place where we are. Below we will see some of the main stages of prehistory. The dates are approximate and may vary greatly depending on the place.

Stone Age (up to 6,000 BC).

The first of the stages of prehistory that has been identified is the Stone Age, characterized by the creation of various tools made of this material, both for hunting and other uses.for hunting and other uses. Technically, it would include from the appearance of the first hominids to the use of metal as a tool. Humans were grouped in small groups or clans, and were mainly nomadic hunter-gatherers (although at the end of this age the first fixed settlements, agriculture and livestock farming appeared). Within the Stone Age, three major periods stand out.

1. Paleolithic (2,500,000 B.C. - 10,000 B.C.)

The Paleolithic is the first of the periods considered as prehistory, from the appearance of the first tools created by hominids. It is also the longest period or stage. During this period a large part of Europe was frozen, being situated in the glacial stage. In this stage different species of hominids existed in addition to our own, such as thesuch as Homo habilis or the Homo neanderthalensiswhich would eventually become extinct.

Our diet was mainly based on fruit and berry gathering and hunting, being a hunter-gatherer human being.. This stage of the Stone Age can, in fact, be divided into three: Lower, Middle and Upper Paleolithic.

The Lower Paleolithic is the period of time from the appearance of man (assumed to be around two and a half million years ago) to approximately 127,000 BC. From this period date the first tools found, made in a rudimentary way with stone carved by friction with others.

The Middle Paleolithic corresponds to the period from that date to approximately 40,000 BC. This stage corresponds to the presence of Homo neanderthalensis in Europe, with the mastery of fire, the first known funerary rites and the first ornamentation and cave paintings. The tools created used the Levallois method, which consisted in the elaboration of stone flakes that were given (by the use of the Levalloismethod, which consisted in the elaboration of stone flakes that were shaped (at least the upper layer) before being extracted.

Finally, we would consider the Upper Paleolithic to be the period between 40,000 BC and 10,000 BC. One of the main milestones of this stage is the migration and expansion of homo sapiens sapiens in Europe after migrating from Africa, as well as the disappearance of the Neanderthals. Cave art becomes common and the domestication of animals such as the wolf begins.

Mesolithic (10,000 B.C. - 8,000 B.C.)

The second of the periods belonging to the Stone Age, the period known as the Mesolithic, corresponds to a large extent with the end of the last Ice Age.. In general, mankind remained mainly nomadic, with the exception of a few settlements that began to flourish. Indeed, the first villages begin to appear. Elaborate tools tend to reduce in size and people are less inclined to seek shelter in caves. Another characteristic element is that the first cemeteries begin to appear.

3. Neolithic (8,000 B.C. - 6,000 B.C.)

The Neolithic is the last of the Stone Age periods. This stage is characterized by the birth, expansion and progressive improvement of agriculture and animal husbandry.. Humans no longer needed to make great migrations in search of herds of animals to hunt, and settlements began to emerge that would eventually become great civilizations.

Metal Age (6,000 B.C. - 600/200 B.C.)

The so-called metal age corresponds to a period in which human beings stopped using stone to use metal and in which the first civilizations and cultures began to appear. the first civilizations and cultures began to appear..

1. Copper Age (6.000 B.C. - 3.600 B.C.)

Copper was one of the first metals to be used as a material to create tools, producing more efficient and cutting elements than stone. Initially it was used without melting, using the same mechanisms as stone. Over time, experimentation would begin and metallurgy would metallurgy would eventually emerge..

2. Bronze Age (3,600-1,200 B.C.)

Stage characterized by the use of bronze as a manufacturing material. In addition to bronze, other materials such as glass also began to be worked. During the Bronze Age. The cremation of the bodies of the dead and the placement of the ashes in ceramic urns are also observed. The different cultures of antiquity had already appeared, such as the Mycenaean culture..

3. Iron Age (1200 B.C. - 600/200 B.C.)

This stage is characterized by the use of iron as a material to create tools. This use is very complex and requires a high level of technique. This stage, in fact, could already be considered within history, since some of the main civilizations of antiquity already existed and in some places writing has existed since about 3500 B.C. However, the generalization of the use of iron did not lead to the use of iron, However, the generalization of the use of iron would not occur in Europe until the existence of the Roman Empire (one of the reasons for the (one of the reasons why, although writing already existed, this stage is still considered to be prehistoric).

And in America?

The stages mentioned above are those generally used in Europe, Asia and Africa. However, the stages of prehistory varied greatly in other regions of the world.. One example is the prehistory experienced by Native American peoples. For example, these peoples did not begin to use iron until they were invaded by peoples from Europe. Writing as such corresponds to the last moments of the Olmecs, of whom we do not have much information precisely because of this fact.

Prior to this, American culture is considered to have the following prehistoric stages.

1. Paleo-Indian stage (up to 10,000/8,000 B.C.).

This stage is the longest of American prehistory, including everything that happened before 8000 BC. This does not mean that there were no great developments before 8000 B.C., but there is no evidence of elements that allow a clear differentiation. Its beginnings are not clear, since it is not entirely clear when the American continent began to be populated by human beings.

It could be considered the equivalent of the Paleolithic, with its lower, middle and upper subperiods. The existence of a population with stone tools is observed, mostly hunter-gatherers who were able to cope with the megafauna. the existing megafauna at the time of the Paleolithic period.. At the end of 8000 B.C. the ice began to retreat, which caused great changes in the ecosystem of numerous species.

2. Archaic Stage (10,000/8,000 B.C. - 1,500 B.C. )

This stage began with the retreat of ice from a large part of the continent. The settlers of America began to stop being nomadic hunter-gatherers and gradually began to establish settlements and the first cities. They began to domesticate animals and cultivate plants..

3. Formative or Preclassic Period (between 1500 B.C. and 900 of our history)

This stage is characterized by the expansion of agriculture and the formation and apogee of the first known hierarchical societies in this continent. Among them, the Olmec civilization stands out.

4. Classic Period (292 and 900)

The beginnings of this period correspond to the invention of writing in America. It is the most documented stage of pre-Columbian history, in which the Olmec civilization disappeared.In this period, the Olmec civilization disappeared and one of the best known Mesoamerican civilizations appeared: the Mayan civilization.

5. Postclassic (between 900 and the arrival of Columbus to America, in 1527)

In this last period prior to the encounter with the peoples of Europe, which in fact is already considered historical because written records have been found. The Mayas began to enter into decadence and appeared among other empires such as the Aztec or the Inca. Agriculture was the economic base, and there was a period of relatively frequent migrations and conflicts. Metallurgy and working with minerals and metals also appeared for the first time.