Prehistory
Prehistory in perspective: deep time, early humans, and the first tools
A grounded starting point for prehistoric history, with a scale exercise and a distinction between fossils and human artifacts.
Before the written record
Prehistory: before the written record
Explore deep time, early humans, and the evidence used to reconstruct the prehistoric past.
Begin with the broad timescale, then follow the evidence from a discovery to an age estimate. These introductory guides link to research institutions and distinguish observations, interpretations, and uncertainty.
Prehistory
How archaeologists date prehistoric evidence
Learn to separate a dated sample from an artifact, recognize calibration, and read uncertainty without turning it into false precision.
Read the evidence, not just the headline
Keep three questions beside a prehistoric claim: what was found, how was its age established, and which part of the story is an interpretation? Dates are approximate and research can revise them. The guides report no fieldwork or laboratory measurements by ScannerServer.
For later periods, explore the History archive.