"The period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins c. 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems."
The study of human activity and culture before the advent of written records.
Paleolithic era: This period is marked by the earliest human societies and their development of stone tools and other technologies.
Neolithic era: The later part of the Stone Age, characterized by the development of agriculture and the rise of permanent settlements.
Mesopotamia: The region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, home to some of the earliest civilizations.
Egyptian civilization: One of the most famous ancient civilizations, known for their pyramids, hieroglyphics, and mummies.
Indus Valley Civilization: A complex society that flourished in what is now Pakistan and India from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE.
Minoan civilization: An ancient civilization that flourished on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean, known for their art and architecture.
Stonehenge: A prehistoric monument in England consisting of a ring of standing stones, whose purpose is still debated by historians and archaeologists.
Megaliths: Large, prehistoric monuments made of stones, including dolmens, menhirs, and cromlechs.
Ancient cave art: Prehistoric art found in caves, including the famous Lascaux cave paintings in France.
Domestication of animals: The process of taming and breeding animals for human use, which was a major development in human history.
Radiocarbon dating: A method of determining the age of organic materials by measuring their radioactive carbon content.
The Ice Age: A period of global cooling that lasted from around 2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago, during which glaciers covered much of the earth's surface.
Human migration: The movement of humans from one place to another, which played a major role in the spread of human populations and cultures.
Hunter-gatherer societies: Early human societies that subsisted by hunting and gathering rather than agriculture, which were prevalent during the Paleolithic era.
The evolution of Homo sapiens: The scientific study of the development of modern humans from their earliest origins to the present day.
Paleolithic Era: This era spans from the emergence of the first human species to the development of agriculture. People were highly dependent on hunting, fishing, and gathering for their survival.
Mesolithic Era: This era is characterized by the end of the ice age and the beginning of human settlements with plants and animals as their primary source of subsistence.
Neolithic Era: The era marks the development of agriculture, which led to the establishment of permanent settlements, and the invention of the wheel.
Chalcolithic Era: This era marks the transition from the stone age to the bronze age, with the discovery of metals and their use for weapons and tools.
Bronze Age: This era marks the widespread use of bronze as a material for tools, weapons, and armor, as well as the development of advanced cultures and organized societies.
Iron Age: This era marks the widespread use of iron, which led to the development of new technologies and more advanced civilizations.
Classical Antiquity: This period encompasses the rise and fall of ancient civilizations, such as Greece and Rome, and is characterized by significant cultural, political, and philosophical contributions.
Medieval Period: This era spans from the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance and is characterized by significant advancements in technology, science, and culture.
Modern Period: This period covers the most recent centuries and is marked by significant social, economic, and technological advancements, including the Industrial Revolution and the rise of globalization.
"The earliest known writing systems appeared c. 5,000 years ago."
"It took thousands of years for writing systems to be widely adopted, with writing spreading to almost all cultures by the 19th century."
"The end of prehistory therefore came at very different times in different places."
"In the early Bronze Age, Sumer in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley Civilisation, and ancient Egypt were the first civilizations to develop their own scripts and to keep historical records."
"The three-age division of prehistory into Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age remains in use for much of Eurasia and North Africa."
"Oceania, Australasia, much of Sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of the Americas."
"For example, 1788 is usually taken as the end of the prehistory of Australia."
"The period when a culture is written about by others, but has not developed its own writing system is often known as the protohistory of the culture."
"These were at first understood by the collection of folklore and by analogy with pre-literate societies observed in modern times."
"The key step to understanding prehistoric evidence is dating."
"More recent techniques include forensic chemical analysis to reveal the use and provenance of materials, and genetic analysis of bones to determine kinship and physical characteristics of prehistoric peoples." Please note that the given paragraph does not have 20 distinct statements or facts that can be turned into study questions.