Period before Recorded (Written) History Ended with the Invention of Writing and Recordkeeping Different for Different Civilizations
Paleolithic 2.5 MYA Paleolithic 2.5 MYA Mesolithic 20,000 BC Mesolithic 20,000 BC Neolithic 10,000 BC Neolithic 10,000 BC Bronze Age 3300 BC Bronze Age 3300 BC Iron Age 1200 BC Iron Age 1200 BC Stone Age
Homo Erectus 2 MYA “Upright Man” 1 st True Human Hunter Migration to Europe and Asia Neanderthals 350,000-24,000 YA Europe Expert Hunters Not quite Modern Humans
150,000 YA
1.5 MYA – 10,000 BC