The Prehistoric Period began with the origins of the human race and ended with the invention of writing. There were three periods of Prehistory: the Paleolithic, the Neolithic and the Metal Ages.
The Paleolithic Age started about 1,000,000 years ago when the first humans appeared. Some of the characteristics of the Paleolithic age are:
- These people were nomads, which means that they went from place to place to live.
- They lived in family groups in caves.
- They made tools with stones, bones and wood.
- They made clothes from animal skins.
- They hunted animals, fished and gathered plant products.
- They used first fire and to keep warm.
- They also began speaking.
- They painted pictures of animals, hand marks, etc. on cave walls.
The Neolithic Age started 10,000 years ago (in 8,000 B.C.E.) when people started practicing agriculture and raising animals. Some of the characteristics of the Neolithic age are:
- Neolithic people began living in little villages.
- They were sedentary, which means they stayed in one place.
- They made pottery, which is pots made from clay.
- They made clothes from plant fibres and wool.
- They used megaliths, which are big blocks of stone, to make monuments.
The Metal Ages began 6,000 years ago (in about 4,000 B.C.E.) when people started using metals for the first time such as copper, tin, bronze and iron to make tools and weapons. Some of the characteristics of the Metal age are:
- They invented the wheel.
- They started living in towns and the first cities.
