Prehistoric (or prehistory) is the period of human history prior to the written record. The word “prehistoric” comes from the Latin præ, meaning “before,” and historicus, meaning “history.” Prehistory can refer to the time before certain events took place or before certain objects were created. It can also refer to the study of objects or events from this period.
Prehistory is divided into three distinct periods:
The first is the Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age, lasting from around 2.6 million years ago until about 10,000 BC;
the second is the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age, lasting from about 10,000 BC until 4,500 BC; and
the third is the Neolithic or New Stone Age which began about 4,500 BC and ended between 4500 and 2000 BC in different parts of Europe and Asia. All three periods are often further subdivided (see table).