Prehistory – Universal History

The prehistory It is the part of History that studies the life of primitive man, from his appearance on Earth, to the invention of writing. It covers the longest period of human development, during which the first progress was made, such as the appearance of language and the domestication of animals and plants.
Taking into account the materials used in the manufacture of utensils and weapons, the cultural levels reached and the ways of life, Prehistory has been divided into two ages: stone age and metal age.

1. The stone age in prehistory

It is the part of Prehistory in which man preferably used stone as a material to make his utensils, tools, weapons and other daily instruments. At this age there are two important periods: Paleolithic and Neolithic.

1.1 The Paleolithic period

In prehistory it is carved stone period. It goes from the origins of human history to 10,000 years BC. At that time, stone was the main material used to make knives, points, spears, and scrapers. Sometimes the stone was used as it was found in nature and other times they were carved, with the help of stones harder than flint.
He paleolithic man They had the following characteristics:

• In this period of prehistory they lived in caverns or caveswhich is why they are also known by the name of cave or troglodyte.
• They fed on roots, wild fruits, seeds, etc. They hunted wild animals and fished in rivers and lakes. They were gatherers, hunters and fishermen.
• They covered their bodies with the skin of the animals they hunted.
• They learned to carve stone to make their utensils and weapons. They also carved the bones and wood with which they made awls, harpoons and daggers.
• They moved permanently from one place to another, in search of food. They were nomads or wanderers.
• They discovered fire, whether caused by lightning, volcanic lava, the ignition of coal or by rubbing flint and iron pyrite.
• They organized themselves into small groups called clans. The clan was led by the strongest.
• In their moments of rest they drew and painted on the walls and ceilings of the caverns. These works of rock art, which have reached our times, reproduced scenes of their daily life. They are famous cave paintings of Altamira (Spain), discovered in 1879.

1.2 The Neolithic period

It is the period of polished stone in prehistory. It ranges from 10,000 years BC to 3,000 years BC. During this period important changes occurred that transformed human life.
Neolithic man had the following characteristics:

• He began to build his first houses, generally rough, gradually leaving the caves. The most curious houses were built on the sunken piles of lakes in Germany, Switzerland and Italy. These constructions are called stilt houses. They also raised megalithic monuments, such as dolmens (stone tables) and menhirs (rows, circles or rows of stones), possibly to render certain cults.
• Used some vegetable fiberssuch as flax in the production of fabrics, which began to be used in the manufacture of dresses, instead of animal skins.
• He learned to polish the stone to make their utensils, weapons and tools. Polishing was done by filing the stone with wet sand or by rubbing with harder stones. At that time, the ax with a handle appeared, which facilitated the felling of trees and the construction of houses.
• He discovered agriculture, in a rudimentary and casual way, with the intervention of women. It is possible that when transporting or consuming the wild fruits, they inadvertently dropped some of them on humid earth and that when the seed germinated, they saw it grow.

In this way the cultivation of the fields began in prehistory. Originally, pointed sticks were used to remove the earth where the seeds were thrown. Later the plow was invented, drawn by animals.

• domesticated some animals with which he organized the current livestock. In this way I tame the sheep, the dogs, the goat, the pig and the ox. At the end of this period the wheel appeared, revolutionizing exchange and communication with them.
• became sedentary, thanks to agricultural and livestock activity. From then on it stopped being wandering because agriculture and livestock needed a lot of care and vigilance in the field. Naturally, this change took place initially in small groups and would gradually spread to others.
• Socially a greater organization arose. The men who lived off the land were concentrated in larger and larger groups. Within the group an authority was created. Thus were born the leaders supported by a warrior class and the producers, who worked the land for the benefit of all.
• ceramic was invented through the hardening of the clay, by the calorific action of the fire.

2. The age of metals in prehistory

The need to have materials harder than stone and the search for precious metals led man to discover other metals, around the year 4000 BC. This new moment of humanity has been divided into three ages: copper age, bronze age and iron age.

2.1 The copper age (4000 BC)

Copper is the first metal to replace stone. Its use spread rapidly due to its easy obtaining and its great malleability; that is to say, it could be worked and modeled without much difficulty. In addition, it could be found in its pure state, that is, separated from other minerals.
As the demand for copper increased, it had to be searched for in the deposits. There it was mixed with other minerals. To separate it, fire was used. Thus, metallurgy was born.

2.2 The Bronze Age (3000 BC)

The need to harden copper led to a series of tests of alloys with other metals. By mixing 90% copper with 10% tin, bronze was obtained. With this new alloy, new weapons, ornaments and utensils began to be manufactured.

2.3 The Iron Age (1500 BC)

With the knowledge of iron, man significantly improved his tools and weapons. Mastery of nature was done with less effort and culture reached a remarkable development. It was precisely the Hittites the first to use it. Later it was known in Asia Minor and Europe.
The use of this metal had a double effect on humanity. On the one hand, industries such as pottery and the manufacture of metal instruments began to be created. Thus the trade was born. Dense populations formed cities and culture expanded.