PREHISTORY: STAGES, CHARACTERISTICS, LIFE, WEAPONS, ART - HISTORY

The p rehistoria was the period that began with the appearance of the first ancestors of human beings until the invention of writing, about the year 3300 BC This definition chronology is disputed by many historians as the events marked as the beginning and end occurred in different times according to the area of the planet.

In which there is consensus is to consider this period as the longest in the history of humanity. Human beings evolved, began to use oral language, domesticated animals, discovered fire and began to perform agricultural work.

A Diorama showing cavemen in prehistory. National Museum of Mongolian History in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Experts divide prehistory into two different periods: the Stone Age and the Metal Age, although some historiographic currents call the latter as Protohistory. The Stone Age is divided in turn into Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic, while the Metals includes the copper, bronze and iron ages.

The primitive human being underwent great changes in his behavior. Their organization was tribal and they were nomadic until the appearance of agriculture, linked to the change in the climate, began to cause more fixed settlements to arise. Likewise, he developed some of the most characteristic cultural habits of the species, such as religion or art.

Stages

There is no scientific consensus to establish when prehistory began. Furthermore, the lack of written documents means that all studies on this period must be based on the archaeological remains that have been found.

Instead, almost all experts point out that it ended with the appearance of writing, around 3300 BC. That date is considered the beginning of History.

Prehistory is the longest period chronologically speaking. For this reason, when studying it, it has been divided into several stages. The first is the so-called Stone Age, subdivided in turn into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic.

For its part, the second stage would be the Age of Metals. Not all historians include it within prehistory, as some prefer to categorize it as a different period: Protohistory. In turn, that Metal Age is divided into the Copper Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.

One aspect that must be taken into account with the chronology of these stages is that they did not happen at the same time in all regions of the planet. For this reason, there are notable differences between, for example, African and American prehistory.

-Stone age

Source: Acedemia play, youtube.

The Stone Age is divided into Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic.

Paleolithic

The Paleolithic, whose name means "ancient stone" was the longest stage in all of prehistory. During this period, the human being began to make some tools in Africa. The date of its beginning depends on the place of the planet, while its completion occurred in 12000 AP (Before Present).

The human population of that period was eminently nomadic. The search for food and the struggle to survive forced these ancestors to move from one place to another. One of the most notable events that occurred during this period was the discovery of fire, something that changed the habits of the first humans.

In order to better study it, experts have divided the Paleolithic into three different phases. The first is called the Lower Paleolithic, in which the human being slowly evolved.

The second subdivision is called the Middle Palaeolithic. This began when the first tools began to be made, including weapons that helped humans to survive.

Lastly is the Upper Paleolithic, which lasted until approximately 12,000 BP. During this stage some of the first human cultures emerged, such as the Magdalenian, the Gravettian or the Solutrean.

Mesolithic

The Mesolithic was the transition period between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic, as its name indicates (between stones). It began around 12000 BP and lasted for 3000 years, although the dates vary depending on the place on the planet that is taken as a reference.

The end of the ice age that had taken place during the Pleistocene allowed humans to improve their living conditions. One of the consequences was that they left the caves and began to live outside.

Although it cannot yet be considered as a main activity, at this stage a reduced agriculture began to be practiced. Little by little, this encouraged some groups to abandon nomadism and begin to settle in fixed places. This, however, did not extend until the Neolithic.

Historians divide this period into two parts: the Epipaleolithic and the Protoneolithic.

Neolithic

The name of this period can be translated as "New Stone". This name is due to the fact that man began to polish the stone and give it new uses in all areas. This was one of the factors, although not the only one, that turned the Neolithic into a stage of profound transformation for human beings.

Another factor was the change in climate that had begun in the Mesolithic and continued during this stage. The heat caused part of the ice that covered large areas of Europe, Asia and America to melt, and large areas of tundra were transformed into forests.

The animals migrated seeking to adapt, which had a negative impact on hunting. On the other hand, edible plant species, such as millet, rice, barley or corn, spread.

The development of agriculture and livestock was fundamental for the change from nomadism to sedentarism

All these changes are what has caused the experts to speak of "Neolithic revolution". The main consequence was the appearance of the first human settlements and, with them, a much more complex social, political and economic organization.

From this moment, what was obtained from agriculture began to displace hunting as the main means of subsistence.

-Age of metals

Source: Mr Ryan, youtube.

The Metal Age is divided into the Copper, Bronze and Iron Age.

Copper Age

The end of the Neolithic also marked the beginning of a new era, the Age of Metals. Within this, the first stage is called Chalcolithic or Copper Age, since this was the first metal that began to be used massively.

There are no exact data on when copper began to be worked, but some discoveries suggest that it could be around 9500 BC

At first, humans used copper in its natural state, since they still did not know how to melt it. The techniques used were hammering and churning, all cold. When he delved into the use of fire, metallurgy was born.

Among the utensils that were made with copper, in addition to the merely ornamental ones, are needles and punches. Later, the improvement of metallurgical techniques allowed more complex tools to be created and even some religious symbols.

Similarly, the human being began to make weapons with this metal. This increased their ability to hunt animals and also to defend themselves or attack other settlements.

Bronze Age

The human being was not satisfied with working copper, but began to experiment and mix it with other materials. The result was the appearance of bronze, an alloy between copper and tin that gave its name to the second stage of the Metal Age, between 1700 and 800 BC.

The Bronze Age is divided into three stages: the Ancient Bronze, the Middle Bronze and the Final Bronze, depending on the evolution in the quality of this metal. Its origin is located in the Middle East, from where it spread to other areas of the planet.

Bronze was considerably harder than copper, which allowed it to be used to improve weapons and tools. In the first case, it seems that the use of weapons made with this alloy by the Achaeans was one of the causes of the disappearance of the Minoan Civilization.

In addition to the direct consequences of the use of this metal, a secondary effect was that intensive searches for deposits began. At the same time, trade strengthened and contacts between different cultures intensified.

Iron age

The last of the prehistoric periods was the Iron Age. Although there are important geographical differences, in general its beginning is located in 1500 BC and its end in 500 BC.

The main characteristic of this stage, and what gives it its name, is the use of iron as the most important raw material. It is not known for sure how and when this element was discovered, but its hardness and greater abundance caused it to become very popular across the board.

Iron became essential for the manufacture of new tools for agriculture, such as picks or axes. In the same way, it was used to make hammers or mandarins more resistant.

However, the area in which iron acquired greater importance was in warfare. Its hardness made this metal the best material for making swords, spearheads, helmets and even armor.

characteristics

The knowledge of Prehistory, a stage in which writing did not exist, comes from the different archaeological sites found around the planet. Thanks to these remains, experts have been able to detail some of the characteristics of this period.

Changes in coasts

Changes in environmental conditions played an important role in human evolution. A good example was the change in the sea coasts that occurred during the Quaternary.

The sea water level was much lower during the ice age than it is today. According to experts, the coasts could be up to 120 meters further away than they are today.

Changes in the weather

The climate also underwent enormous variations during the long period that includes prehistory. Some continents were communicated during the glaciation, which caused human and animal migrations between them.

The human being had to adapt to the existing climate at all times and take advantage of the resources that nature offered. One of the reasons for the Neolithic revolution was precisely the end of the ice age, which softened living conditions and allowed agriculture to appear.

Discovery of fire

The discovery of fire or, rather, the learning of humans on how to control it was one of the most important events for the species. At first, they had to settle for using fire when it occurred naturally, such as a lightning strike.

Later, although the exact moment is not known, the human being learned to light it, handle it and keep it.

Among the effects of this discovery are its use to cook food. This allowed a better absorption of the nutrients and that the food was preserved for longer. Likewise, it allowed to heat homes in winter and provide certain lighting and protection to settlements.

Nomadism

During the early stages of prehistory, the human being was essentially nomadic or semi-nomadic. The different groups had to move from one place to another in order to look for food sources, whether they were plants or animals.

It was not until the appearance of agriculture and livestock when they began to build fixed settlements.

Tool creation

The use and manufacture of tools are elements that were present since the appearance of the first hominids. Those who managed to acquire the greatest skills in this area had great evolutionary advantages. Furthermore, the introduction of meat into the diet allowed their brains to increase in capacity and intelligence.

At first, the tools that were used were what they found around them, such as sticks and, above all, stones. Later, the human being began to use the bones of the animals to create new utensils.

The fire also represented an advance in this regard. By placing the sharp sticks on the fires it was possible to harden them and, therefore, make them more resistant.

Over time, man learned to polish and carve stones and created a wide variety of tools and weapons. Finally, during the Metal Age, these became the main raw material to make their creations.

Hunting, gathering and farming

The first humans were gatherers and hunters. This implies that their diet depended on the fruits and roots they found and the animals they could capture. Some experts point out that there may have been some kind of exchange of products between the various clans, although it was not usual.

In the last part of prehistory, starting from the Neolithic, the situation changed in a very important way. Agriculture and livestock began to become the main activities of man, which caused the first fixed settlements to rise.

Similarly, the trade began to be more frequent. This circumstance was not only important economically, but it also allowed cultural exchanges to take place between the various tribes that traded with each other.

Marketing and exchange of goods

During this period, men produced goods that they exchanged with human beings from other regions. This is deduced from discoveries of certain goods, like copper and tin, in places where they were not produced.

Invention of the needle

When men moved from one place to another, specifically from warmer places to colder places, they protected themselves from the cold with the hides of the animals they hunted.

To make the skin more suited to protection needs, one of the techniques invented in this period was the needle, made from deer or reindeer antlers.

Human way of life

The fossil remains suggest that hominids began to appear between 7 and 5 million years ago. The chronology of the first evolutionary stages has not yet been fully established, although the sites that are discovered are providing more and more data.

Hominization is defined as the process by which the human being was evolutionarily separated from the rest of the primates until it became Homo sapiens. The most widely accepted theory states that the cradle of humanity is in Africa and that, from there, hominids spread to the rest of the planet.

Tribal organization

In prehistory the first forms of social organization were developed. The first groups were based on family relationships, with the strongest as leaders. The group allowed to be more likely to survive, defend themselves from dangers and hunt for food.

Little by little, these families grew into larger and more powerful family clans. Finally, the union of several clans gave rise to the appearance of tribes. These necessitated new forms of social and economic organization and led to hierarchical societies with specialized jobs.

The Paleolithic: a gathering and hunting economy

During the Paleolithic age, the different human groups based their diet on hunting, fishing and gathering. Although it has always been pointed out that there was a differentiation of tasks according to gender, the latest findings suggest that women also participated in the capture of animals.

In that period, the clans, made up of 30 or 40 people, were nomads or semi-nomads. Thus, they looked for places where there was water and game and they settled until resources were exhausted, at which point they moved to another area.

To rest and protect themselves, they most often looked for locations where caves existed. Weather permitting, the group could stay out in the open. As they dominated the fire, the possibilities multiplied, since it allowed them to fight the cold, illuminate the caves and drive away the animals.

The Neolithic and agriculture

Humans began to abandon their caves and caverns due to rising temperatures. The improved climatic conditions allowed them to begin to build open-air villages that would be the basis for the first fixed settlements. To this must be added the growing dominance of agricultural work.

All of the above gave rise to what is known as the "Neolithic revolution", the process by which the human being went from being a nomad, hunter and gatherer and became sedentary, farmer and rancher.

The transformation of his way of life also involved changes in the social organization and the tools he used. In this second aspect, they highlighted the new stone polishing techniques that allowed the manufacture of agricultural tools. In the same way, human beings began to work with ceramics and textiles.

On the other hand, the settlements were always close to sources of water, a vital element for agriculture and livestock. The first houses were small cabins and were raised on somewhat high ground.

Among the novelties that emerged within the social organization is the appearance of the concept of private property. In the short term, this led to economic differences and, therefore, the need for a power structure.

Cult of the dead

Researchers have found remains that suggest funeral rites as early as the Paleolithic. However, it was in the Neolithic Age when these practices became more common.

The findings show that the dead were buried with grave goods. Likewise, evidence has been found that some religious rites were developed.

The construction of large stone monuments of a funerary nature, such as menhirs, cromlechs or dolmens are further proof that the human being of the time had developed a series of rites associated with death.

First metal cities

The next great wave of change, after the "Neolithic revolution," came with the expansion of the use of metals. The transformations covered all areas, from the economy to society.

On the one hand, the workers of the time had to diversify. Not only were there farmers and ranchers, but miners, blacksmiths, artisans and merchants were needed.

In addition, thanks to the use of these new materials, more malleable and resistant than the previous ones, more efficient tools were manufactured to work the land.

Over time, both factors made the villages more prosperous. The population increased and the first cities began to appear. In turn, this made society more complex. A few were accumulating much of the new wealth generated. Along with economic power, those privileged ones ended up assuming political power.

Home

The first men in this period took refuge in the exterior part of the constructions, such as in the entrances of the caves. In this way, they could take advantage of the light coming from the outside in a natural way while taking advantage of the walls and ceilings as a natural refuge.

The construction of the cave was chosen considering the position of the sun and which was the place where there was the possibility of having more hours of light.

Home decoration

Many of the decorations of the homes of that time are considered as part of the art that was developing at the time.

The decoration was made from the entrance of the cave and towards the interior of it. The decoration consisted of paintings and engravings that were made with food scraps, stone instruments, coloring torches, among other materials.

Religion

The religious fact was present since prehistory, although not as an organized religion. At first, the human being practiced ceremonies to obtain a good game or to make the harvest abundant. Likewise, fertility was another of the motivations for which they began to perform these rituals.

Their beliefs were polytheistic and the most important deities were the goddesses who represented fertility and the gods in charge of hunting. Similarly, many groups were animists and worshiped animals or beasts that they represented on totems.

Since there was no priestly caste, at first it was the elders of the tribe who conducted the rituals. Over time, priests began to appear and a religious hierarchy was organized.

The tombs

Once a person was dead, the body was introduced into a cave that was located on the side of a mountain and which was decorated differently. In other cases the corpses were placed on mounds of earth that were covered with stones.

In some cases, the burial chambers also contained objects related to the person, such as furniture, clothing, fabrics, among others.

Society

The tribal societies of prehistory hardly had a hierarchical organization. However, as the human being became sedentary, the social system evolved until different estates were formed within it.

In the political sphere, rulers and priests appeared as the most powerful classes. After them, classes were created consisting of warriors, artisans and peasants.

Already in the age of metals, a new social group appeared that occupied the lowest part of the pyramid: the slaves.

Weapons

The human being soon equipped himself with weapons, either to hunt animals or to defend himself against rival tribes. At first, as with tools, they used stones, bones or sticks. Later, with advances in stone carving techniques, they began to manufacture more lethal and resistant weapons.

Many of these primitive weapons served as the basis for those that would be built later, already during the Metal Age.

First materials

After the time when humans used any item they found as a weapon, stone became the most important material when making them.

The varieties used were from quartz to quartzite, although, without a doubt, the best known was flint. Each of these types had different qualities, so the use that was given to each one was also different.

In general, these types of stones had a conchoid structure and, especially flint, were very valuable to build weapons for cutting.

First weapons

The ability of the first humans to make weapons allowed them to have a wide variety at their disposal. Among them, the ax, the club, the spear and the arrows stood out. Their first task was hunting and everything related to the treatment of the meat they got.

Following the chronological order, the first weapon that the human being used was the stone. At first, these stones were used to break fruits or bones or open shells.

Once they learned to work the stone, the man began to make hand axes. To build them they used flint, a type of material that combined the ease of being carved with its hardness.

Another important advance, especially since it allowed hunting from a distance, was the arrow and the launcher. In both cases, the important thing was that they were well sharpened in order to increase their effectiveness.

Something similar can be said about spears. The first specimens were simply sticks with a sharp point. When the fire was controlled, this point was brought closer to the stake to harden. Later, a point made of well-sharpened flint was attached.

Metal Revolution

As in many other areas, the Age of Metals represented a revolution in the manufacture of weapons. During the first stage, that of copper, humans began to use it to improve their function. With that copper the first daggers were made, equipped with triangular and quite wide blades.

Already at the end of prehistory, in the Iron Age, weapons acquired a new dimension. This metal, in addition to being abundant, was easily moldable and its hardness made it perfect for making everything from swords to helmets.

Art

The quintessential artistic expression of prehistory was cave painting. The human being used the walls of the caves to record their way of life and their way of seeing the world around them.

Many experts, however, differ in considering such manifestations art. For this current, the authors of these paintings did not have the objective of enjoying the vision of their work, since it had a ritual and mystical function.

Art in the Paleolithic Period

The rock or wall art was the protagonist during the Paleolithic. The usual thing was that the walls of the caves in which the human being lived were used to make the paintings. In some cases, it was also painted outside.

Almost all examples of this type of art have been found in southern Europe, specifically from the limit marked by the ice produced by the Würm glaciation.

The main characteristic of these paintings was naturalism. Many of them reflected hunting scenes, with many figures representing prey and hunters. One of the existing theories indicates that the paintings had a ritual function, so that the captures were abundant.

The first artists of mankind used fairly simple techniques. The paints only had one or two colors, obtained from various mineral pigments.

Art in the Neolithic Period

The "Neolithic revolution" also had its reflection in art. During this period, humans took advantage of the end of the glaciation to start living outside the caves. This, together with the development of agriculture and livestock, caused him to abandon nomadism to move to live in stable settlements.

All these changes were reflected in the artistic manifestations. As in the Paleolithic, many of the works used stone as the primary material, but new polishing techniques made the result much more refined.

Another material that began to gain prominence was ceramics. Despite the fact that the creations were purely utilitarian, mainly containers for preserving food, they are considered to represent the birth of a new type of artistic representation.

On the other hand, small statuettes were also made that used to represent female figures related to fertility. The materials most used to make them were stone and clay.

Art in the Metal Age

When beginning to work with metals, the human being had a new material to elaborate his artistic works. In the first stage, the Copper Age, the human being used this metal to make purely decorative items, such as rings or bracelets.

The following period, the Bronze Age, was characterized by the diversity of artistic creations and by their regional differences. The household utensils began to be decorated with images and the statues were more realistic.

The appearance of different social and economic strata was also reflected in the artistic field. The most privileged had as a sign of distinction the possibility of owning more luxurious and better decorated objects, something that was reflected in the funeral and religious customs.

References

Ancient world. Stages of prehistory. Obtained from mundoantiguo.net
Briceño, Gabriela. Prehistory. Retrieved from euston96.com
Department of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Government. Prehistoric Art. Retrieved from hiru.eus
New World Encyclopedia. Prehistory. Retrieved from newworldencyclopedia.org
Eduljee, KE Prehistoric Ages. Retrieved from heritageinstitute.com
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Paleolithic Period. Retrieved from britannica.com
Hendry, Lisa. Homo erectus, our ancient ancestor. Retrieved from nhm.ac.uk
National Geographic. Early Human Milestones. Retrieved from genographic.nationalgeographic.com

PREHISTORY: STAGES, CHARACTERISTICS, LIFE, WEAPONS, ART - HISTORY - 2025