UNCOVERING PREHISTORY: METHODOLOGY

Prehistory  The span of human existence in which writing did not exist  From the first appearance of early man to roughly 5,000 years ago  Without written records, we must use other evidence to learn about this time of history

Artifacts  Human-made objects that help archaeologists study prehistoric societies  NOT naturally existing remains like skeletons  Tools, jewelry, building ruins, pottery or earthenware

Archaeology  Scientists that use objects and clues left behind by long ago societies to piece together an idea of how these people lived  “detective-like” work  assess the evidence before them to make valid assumptions  Look at the tools, ruins, personal objects, skeletons, soil  Make deductions as to the physical appearance of these “prehistoric” people, as well as when they existed, cultural values (traces of religious worship, style of dress, food they ate, etc.)

Anthropology  The study of culture-  or the aspects of a society that gives them a unique way of living  Food choices, style of dress, religious values, family systems, laws

Paleontologist  Study fossils to get a better understanding of prehistoric people  Fossils are small fragments of bodily remains preserved in rock or soil  Fragments of teeth, skull, bones -scientific methods of tracing, or “dating”, a fossil  aka, how old is this thing??

Technology  Using ideas to come up with solutions to the problems in front of us  Usually in the form of tools or inventions that make life easier for us  Today examples?  Prehistoric examples?

HOMO NADELI (AS OF SEPT. 2015) 