Prehistory to Recorded History

Prehistory is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins around 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The end of prehistory varied in different places and is less often used in discussing societies where prehistory ended relatively recently.

The earliest known writing systems appeared around 5,000 years ago.

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.

<p>It took thousands of years for writing systems to be widely adopted, with writing spreading to almost all cultures by the 19th century.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Most other civilizations reached the end of prehistory in the early Bronze Age.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The K-T event refers to the mass extinction of dinosaurs that took place around 65.5 million years ago, possibly caused by an asteroid or meteor impact.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Stone Age ended around 5,000 years ago when humans began working with metal, marking the transition to the Bronze Age.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The discovery of iridium-enriched clay at the K-T boundary supported the theory of an asteroid or meteor impact causing the mass extinction of dinosaurs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Bronze Age marked the first time humans started working with metal, as bronze tools and weapons replaced earlier stone versions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>During the Stone Age, humans used primitive stone tools, and it lasted roughly 2.5 million years before the transition to working with metal.</p> Signup and view all the answers