Egypt, Greece, Rome… there is much that we know about countless peoples and civilizations that preceded us, and whose role in the world ended up making our life what it is now. All this is mainly thanks to the invention of writing, which allowed us to record the events that took place in the world. It is from the invention of writing that we can start talking about history. But what happened before that? What happened before human beings began to record in writing what was happening in the world they lived in?

Of most of the events that our most remote ancestors experienced, everything that our species experienced 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, human beings have tried to organize a time line that will help us to 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 emergence, our species has faced countless dangers and has had to fight to survive. Without written documents to determine the great events that occurred between peoples and tribes, historians, archaeologists and anthropologists have divided prehistory into different stages according to the instruments and materials used by our ancestors.

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 could take place sooner or later, with a gap between the duration of the different ages depending on where we are. Next we will see some of the main stages of prehistory. The dates are approximate and can vary greatly depending on the place.

Stone Age (up to 6,000 BC)

The first stage 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. Technically, this would include the appearance of the first hominids and the use of metal as a tool. Human beings were grouped into small groups or clans, and were mainly nomadic hunter-gatherers (although by the end of this age the first fixed settlements, agriculture and cattle ranching, had already appeared). Within the Stone Age, three main periods stand out.

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

The Palaeolithic is the first of the periods considered as prehistoric, which would go 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 located in the glacial stage. In this stage there were different hominid species in addition to our own , such as Homo habilis or Homo neanderthalensis , which would eventually become extinct.

Our diet was mainly based on the collection of fruits and berries and on hunting, being the human being hunter-gatherer . This stage of the Stone Age can, in fact, be divided into three: Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic.

The Lower Palaeolithic is the period of time from the appearance of man (assumed to be about two and a half million years ago) to about 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 Palaeolithic corresponds to the period that would go from that date until approximately 40,000 B.C. This stage corresponds to the presence of the Homo neanderthalensis in Europe, with the dominance of fire, the first known funeral rites and the first ornaments and cave paintings. The tools created used the Levallois method , which consisted of the elaboration of stone chips that were given (at least the top layer) shape before being extracted.

Finally, we would consider the Palaeolithic period to be longer than 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 emigrating from Africa, as well as the disappearance of the Neanderthals. Rock art became commonplace and the domestication of animals like the wolf began.

2. Mesolithic (10,000 BC – 8,000 BC)

The second of the periods belonging to the Stone Age, the period known as Mesolithic, corresponds largely to the end of the last Ice Age . Generally speaking, humanity remained mainly nomadic, except for a few settlements that began to flourish. Indeed, the first villages are beginning to appear. Elaborate tools tend to reduce their size and people are less likely to seek refuge in caves. Another characteristic element is that the first cemeteries are beginning 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 livestock . Human beings no longer needed to make large migrations in search of the herds of animals to hunt, and settlements began to emerge that would eventually become great civilizations.

Age of metals (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 would begin to appear .

1. Copper Age (6,000 BC-3,600 BC)

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 with stone. With time, experiments were carried out and 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 began to be worked. During the bronze age. The cremation of the bodies of the dead and the placing of the ashes in ceramic urns are also observed. The different cultures of antiquity had already appeared, such as the Mycenaean .

3. Iron Age (1,200 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 be considered as part of history, since some of the main ancient civilizations already existed and in some places writing has existed since approximately 3,500 B.C. However, the generalization of the use of iron would not take place in Europe until the existence of the Roman Empire (one of the reasons why, although writing already existed, this stage is still considered within prehistory)

And in America?

The stages mentioned above are those generally used at the European, Asian and African levels. However, the stages of prehistory varied greatly in other regions of the world . One example is the prehistory lived by the Native American peoples. For example, these peoples did not begin to use iron until they were invaded by peoples from Europe. The writing as such corresponds to the last moments of the Olmecs, of which 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 BC)

This stage is the longest in American prehistory, including everything that happened before 8000 BC. This is not to say that there were no major developments before 8000 BC, but there is no evidence of elements that would 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. We can observe the existence of populations with stone tools, mostly hunter-gatherers who managed to cope with the megafauna existing at the time . 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 BC – 1,500 BC)

This stage begins with the removal of the ice from a large part of the continent. The inhabitants 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 to cultivate plants .

3. Formative or pre-classical 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. This is the most documented stage of pre-Columbian history , in which the Olmec civilization disappeared and one of the best known Mesoamerican civilizations appeared: the Mayan civilization.

5. Post-Classic (between 900 and Columbus$0027 arrival in 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 Mayans began to decline and appeared among other empires such as the Aztec or Inca. Agriculture was the economic base, and there was a period of relatively frequent migrations and conflicts. Metallurgy and work with minerals and metals also appeared for the first time.