Characteristics of Prehistory

Prehistory is called the period elapsed since the appearance of man (Homo Skillful, Homo Herectus, Cro-Magnon Man, up to the present Man), this period includes the most of the time in which hominids have existed, until the appearance of writing, which is the time that is taken as the base or beginning of history, or written history.

There are other classifications in which prehistory ends; as in those that consider within the historical period to cultures that had complex societies, with technologies that compared to those that existed in the old stone, were advanced, like some cultures that knew metallurgy, had a complex and structured social organization, but lacked the writing.

In this regard, it should be noted that there were advanced cultures, which had writing, but did not know metallurgy, and are considered within history, but technologically they were in the stone age, (Mayans, Aztecs, Olmecs, etc.).

During this time, man's life basically revolved around obtaining food and places to shelter; It was the time in which the discovery and use of fire occurred, the creation of various tools, both bone or wood, and stone, calling it also to this period, as a stone age, as this is the most abundant and best preserved material from that time according to the findings archaeological. The period in which metals were already being used but in which writing did not yet exist is called protohistory.

The stone age is divided into different stages:

• Paleolithic or carved stone
• Mesolithic
• Neolithic or polished stone
• Protohistory or Age of metals

Some of the Characteristics of prehistory:

Nomadism.- Life during the first three stages was primarily nomadic or semi-nomadic; man moved from one place to another in search of food, whether it was collected from trees and plants, or hunted, hunting being one of the reasons for which the human being was nomadic, since human groups followed the herds and herds of the different animals they hunted, establishing camps in the vicinity of rivers or water sources where animals stopped to drink water or in strategic places within the area of ​​migrations of the animals.

Tribal Organization.- The individuals of the different human groups had the family as their social base, with the oldest or strongest members being the leaders of the family. Whether to hunt, gather fruits, or defend themselves against beasts or other human groups, families came together in groups of several related members. among themselves, called clans, and in turn these clans were constituted into tribes, already having a hierarchical social order and divisions of labor for their members.

Creation of Tools.- From the earliest times of man (the different types of hominids), technological advances began to be made, a consequence of the greater brain development of the different hominids, resulting from changes in their diet, mainly thanks to the introduction of meat products, which provided them with more calories and essential nutrients for development cephalic. At first they were simple tools, such as sticks and stones to reach fruit or kill animals, as well as to defend themselves from predators. Later, man created tools from the bones of the animals that he hunted. He discovered the use of fire, perhaps by chance, learning to master and kindle it, by rubbing wood or hitting stones. Fire was an effective tool against predators, as well as a relief in cold times. It also gave other uses such as lighting at night and mainly to cook food, and to improve tools such as hardening pointed sticks in the fire.

He learned to carve and then polish the stones, making better tools with which he hunted. Arriving in protohistoric times to use metals and dominating them, metals such as Copper, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron.

Society.- The society at first was tribal; where hierarchies were not very strict, but as time progresses, society evolves and diversifies into different strata social, creating the strata of the rulers and priests at the top of the social pyramid, followed by the warriors, artisans and farmers. At the end of prehistory, at the end of the Neolithic, at the beginning of the metal age, another link emerges in society, that of slaves, who were prisoners of war or traded between the different peoples.

Economy.- The economy during the first three periods of prehistory was based on hunting and the gathering of fruits and roots; It is believed that there may have been some trade (through barter) between different tribes, exchanging tools or some of the products they hunted or collected.

In the last period of prehistory, in the age of metals, and even during part of the Neolithic Age, when they became sedentary and agriculture began, trade increased; first through bartering and later through the invention of objects that were used as currency, in some regions plants such as the cocoa, or stone coins, shells, precious stones, pieces of metal, etc., until the creation of the metal coin itself as such.

Farming.- During the Neolithic and early Metal Age, in several regions near rivers and some lakes, the development of agriculture, being cereals, vegetables and some vegetables the first products that the human being learned to cultivate. Some of the first species that began to be cultivated were wheat, oats, barley, sorghum, rice, rye, corn, potatoes, as well as plants such as cotton, flax, and various legumes and fruits such as vine, apple, or pear, in the old continent or pumpkins, chili peppers and potatoes in America.

Domestication of Animals.- Perhaps as a consequence of enclosing some of the animals that he hunted to be able to eat them later, the human being was learning the habits of the animals and began to domesticate them little by little. Being some of these animals, dogs, which could well have been collected as wolf cubs, as "pets", or through the closeness that was given between man and the animal, like the cats that may well have approached human settlements, when hunting the rodents that roamed the barns and food reserves of the humans. And by making crosses of the specimens that had characteristics suitable for their use, such as greater quantity of meat in pigs and cows, or greater production of wool, such as in llamas and sheep. Some of the first animals to be domesticated by man are, the dog, cat, horse, cow, chicken, pig, goose, ducks, and the llama or alpaca and the turkey or turkey in America.

Religion.- Perhaps as a way to promote good hunting, abundant gathering, or fertility, the human being began to perform magical-religious rituals, thus initiating the primitive religions. Being at first polytheistic and being their main deities goddesses of fertility, hunter-warrior gods, as well as those animals they hunted or the beasts they feared, through representations of those or totems. Their worship was led by the older members of the clan, later forming priesthoods more structured, until in the age of metals the various religions already had structures and rituals complex.

Politics.- The first governments that existed, occurred within families or clans, with their leaders being the oldest members or the most outstanding hunters and warriors. In this regard, it should be mentioned that a large part of primitive cultures had a matriarchal structure, which later evolved to patriarchal, and later became structuring and distributing power either among the priests or the warriors, subsequently instituting their leaders as kings, and creating dynasties hereditary.

Culture.-The first cultural manifestations emerge, such as the first mythical traditions about the origin of man and the world. The first religions began to take shape, as well as the traditions of the populations. The art, cave at first, is the expression of the desire to obtain a good hunting, an art that is evolving no only in painting but also in the carving of bones and stones with figures of animals or women with attributes inordinate. It is during this time that the first musical and dance manifestations begin to appear, first as part of magical religious rituals, and then as fun or entertainment. Among the various objects that man creates are jewels, which existed since Neolithic times using shells and colored pebbles, and when discovering the metals they begin to be made in these materials, being Gold, Silver, Copper and Bronze, the most used for it.