You might be reading this text on an electronic screen. Or maybe you're completing your lesson in a heated room or an air-conditioned space. We can enjoy the comforts and conveniences of modern-day life, but life on Earth wasn't always like this. Let's take a look at our primitive roots and learn about our evolution.
Prehistory is also known as pre-literacy history. This era marks the time between when humans first began to use stone tools and when writing systems were put in place. It is hard to know more about prehistoric people because they did not leave behind scripts. There isn't much for linguists to study. We can only learn more about early people using other methods. For example, we can study the tools they used, the buildings they made, their charred remains, and their artwork. We can use the three-age system to look at three time periods.
The Stone Age is part of pre-literacy history, it began 2.7 million years ago. This was the time when people made their tools and weapons out of stones. They may have used other materials such as wood, but because stone lasts longer we are able to find more of these tools. During this time animals were killed to make various things for everyday life. For example, food, clothing, and shelter. This period ended when people learned how to smelt.
Much of the Stone Age was also part of the Ice Age. This was a time when Earth as a whole was a lot cooler. There were huge mammals like the woolly mammoth and giant sloth. It wasn't until 14,000 years ago that the Earth began to warm up again and many animals from the Ice Age went extinct.
Next came the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age did not arrive at the same time everywhere. Its arrival spanned over a thousand years in different places. This was the time when people made tools from mixing different metals called bronze. Bronze is made by mixing copper and tin. While wood and stone were still being used for tools, bronze had a different use. Bronze tools were used for cutting and chopping.
During the Bronze Age, people did not have to rely on wild food anymore. They began to farm. This means that more people can live in the same area. They could store crops, and those crops could also be sold to neighbouring groups. By farming and living together, people could focus on other goals besides looking for food. Their land could be expanded, and they could build an empire. Sheep and goats were also kept during the Bronze Age. They gave different dairy products and meat. Oxen were also used to help with farming tasks.
The Iron Age followed the Bronze Age. As the name suggests, during the Iron Age, people made tools and weapons out of iron. Bronze and iron are both metals, how come one came before the other? Iron can be easily found, but it is much harder to make into weapons and tools. It needs a higher temperature to melt.
When the blacksmiths learned how to make iron tools, these tools replaced the bronze tools. The blacksmiths were also able to make more of these tools, so people could do more tasks. Metalwork helped people with crucial and essential tasks. For example, these tools helped with farming and made it more efficient. This meant that more crops could grow.