Outline of prehistoric technology

See also: Outline of technology and History of technol- 1 Nature of prehistoric technology
ogy
The following outline is provided as an overview of and Prehistoric technology can be described as:

• Prehistoric – “before we had written records,” from

the Latin word for “before,” præ. Prehistory is the
span of time before recorded history, that is, before
the invention of writing systems.
• Technology – making, modification, usage, and
knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts,
systems, and methods of organization, in order to
solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to
a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied in-
put/output relation or perform a specific function.

2 Old World prehistoric technology

Acheulean hand axes from Kent. The types shown are (clockwise
from top) cordate, ficron and ovate. It was the longest-used tool
of human history.
topical guide to prehistoric technology.
Prehistoric technology – technology that predates
recorded history. History is the study of the past us-
ing written records; it is also the record itself. Anything
prior to the first written accounts of history is prehistoric
(meaning “before history”), including earlier technolo- 2.1 Stone Age technology in the Old World
gies. About 2.5 million years before writing was devel-
oped, technology began with the earliest hominids who
used stone tools, which they may have used to start fires,
hunt, cut food, and bury their dead.
• Three-age system – in archaeology and physical an-
thropology, the periodization of human prehistory
into three consecutive time periods, each named af-
ter the main material used in its respective tool-
making technologies: the Stone Age, the Bronze
Age, and the Iron Age.
• Beginning of prehistoric technology – the earli-
est technology began (2.5 million years) before
recorded history, that is, at the beginning of the
Stone Age.
• Latest prehistoric technology – the level of tech-
nology reached before true writing was introduced
differed by region (and usually included proto-
writing)...
• Latest prehistoric technology in the Near East
– cultures in the Near East achieved the de-
velopment of writing first, during their Bronze
Age.
• Latest prehistoric technology in the rest of the
Old World: Europe, India, and China reached
Iron Age technological development before the
introduction of writing there.
• Stone Age – broad prehistoric period, lasting
roughly 2.5 million years, during which stone was
widely used in the manufacture of implements with

1
2 2 OLD WORLD PREHISTORIC TECHNOLOGY
a sharp edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The
period began with hominids and ended between
6000 and 2000 BCE with the advent of metalwork-
ing.
2.1.1 Paleolithic technology
• Paleolithic – prehistoric period of human history
distinguished by the development of the most primi-
tive stone tools discovered (Grahame Clark’s Modes Middle Paleolithic technology
I and II), and covers roughly 99% of human techno-
logical prehistory.
2.1.2 Lower Paleolithic technology
• Lower Paleolithic – earliest subdivision of the
Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. It spans the time from
around 2.5 million years ago when the first evidence
of craft and use of stone tools by hominids appears
in the current archaeological record, until around
300,000 years ago, spanning the Oldowan (“mode
1”) and Acheulean (“mode 2”) lithic technology.
• Stone tool use – early human (hominid) use of
stone tool technology, such as the hand axe,
was similar to that of primates, which is found
to be limited to the intelligence levels of mod-
ern children aged 3 to 5 years. Ancestors of
homo sapiens (modern man) used stone tools
as follows:
• Homo habilis (“handy man”) – first
“homo” species. It lived from approx-
imately 2.3 to 1.4 million years ago in
Africa and created stone tools called
Oldowan tools.[1][2][3]
• Homo ergaster – in eastern and southern
Africa about 2.5 to 1.7 million years ago,
it refined Oldowan tools and developed
the first Acheulean bifacial axes.[4]
• Homo erectus (“upright man”) – lived
about 1.8 to 1.3 million years ago in
West Asia and Africa and is thought to be
the first hominid to hunt in coordinated
groups, use complex tools, and care for
infirm or weaker companions.[5][6]
• Homo antecessor – earliest hominid in
Northern Europe. It lived from 1.2 mil-
lion to 800,000 years ago and used stone
tools.[7][8]
• Homo heidelbergensis – lived between
Upper Paleolithic Revolution
600,000 and 400,000 years ago and
used stone tool technology similar to the
Acheulean tools used by Homo erectus.[9]
• Control of fire by early humans – European
and Asian sites dating back 1.5 million years
ago seem to indicate controlled use of fire by
H. erectus. A northern Israel site from about
690,000 to 790,000 years ago suggests that
man could light fires.[10]
• Burial – the act of placing a deceased person
into the ground.
• Homo heidelbergensis – may have been
the first species to bury their dead about
500,000 years ago.[11]
• Middle Paleolithic period – in Europe and the
Near East during which the Neanderthals lived
(c. 300,000–28,000 years ago). Their technol-
ogy is mainly the Mousterian. The earliest evi-
dence (Mungo Man) of settlement in Australia dates
to around 40,000 years ago when modern humans
likely crossed from Asia by island-hopping. The
Bhimbetka rock shelters exhibit the earliest traces
of human life in India, some of which are approxi-
mately 30,000 years old.
• Homo neanderthalensis
• Stone tools – homo neanderthalensis used
Mousterian stone tools that date back to
around 300,000 years ago[12] and include
smaller, knife-like and scraper tools.
• Burials – homo neanderthalensis buried
their dead, doing so in shallow graves
along with stone tools and animal bones,
although the reasons and significance of
the burials are disputed.[13][14]
• Homo sapiens – the only living species in
the Homo genus originated in Africa about
200,000 years ago. Greater mental capability
and ability to walk erect provided freed hands
for manipulating objects, which allowed for
far greater use of tools.[15]
• Art of the Middle Paleolithic –
• Burial – intentional burial, particularly
with grave goods, may be one of the ear-
liest detectable forms of religious prac-
tice since it may signify a “concern for the
dead that transcends daily life.”[16] The
earliest undisputed human burial so far
dates back 130,000 years. Human skele-
tal remains stained with red ochre were
discovered in the Skhul cave at Qafzeh,
Israel with a variety of grave goods.[17]
• Upper Paleolithic Revolution – theoretical occur-
rence between 60,000 and 30,000 years ago, pos-
sibly the origin of language, resulting in modern hu-
man behavior, accompanied radical advancements
in technology made possible by it.[18]
2.1 Stone Age technology in the Old World
• Behavioral modernity – a set of traits that dis-
tinguish Homo sapiens from extinct hominid
lineages. Homo sapiens reached full behav-
ior modernity around 50,000 years ago due
to a highly developed brain capable of ab-
stract reasoning, language, introspection, and
problem solving.[15][19]
• Tools – included Aurignacian tools, such as
stone bladed tools, tools made of antlers, and
tools made of bones.[20]
• Clothing – evidence, such as possible sewing
needles from around 40,000 years ago and[21]
dyed flax fibers dated 36,000 BP found in a
prehistoric cave in the Republic of Georgia
suggest that people were wearing clothes at
this time.[22][23] Human beings may have be-
gun wearing clothing as far back as 190,000
years ago.[24]
• Art of the Upper Paleolithic – included cave
painting, sculpture such as the Venus figurines,
carvings and engravings of bone and ivory, and
musical instruments such as flutes. The most
common subject matter was large animals that
were hunted by the people of the time.
• Prehistoric music
• Paleolithic flutes
• Cave painting
• Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic
Cave Art of Northern Spain
• Côa Valley Paleolithic Art
2.1.3 Mesolithic technology
• Mesolithic – the transitional period between the
Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, beginning with the
Holocene warm period around 11,660 BP and end-
ing with the Neolithic introduction of farming, the
date of which varied in each geographical region.
Adaptation was required during this period due to
climate changes that affected environment and the
types of available food.
• Stone tool changes – small stone tools called
Microliths, including small bladelets and
microburins, emerged during this period.[25]
• Weapons – spears or arrows were found at
the earliest known Mesolithic battle site at
Cemetery 117 in the Sudan.[26] Holmegaard
bows were found in the bogs of Northern Eu-
rope dating from the Mesolithic period.[27]
2.1.4 Neolithic Revolution
• Neolithic Revolution – first agricultural revolution,
representing a transition from hunting and gathering
3
nomadic life to an agriculture existence. It evolved
independently in six separate locations worldwide
circa 10,000–7000 years BP (8,000–5,000 BC).
The earliest known evidence exists in the tropi-
cal and subtropical areas of southwestern/southern
Asia, northern/central Africa and Central Amer-
ica.[28]
• Defining characteristics
• Introduction of agriculture – a defin-
ing characteristic of Neolithic societies,
which resulted in a swing from a no-
madic lifestyle to one that was more
sedentary,[29] and the use of agricultural
tools such as the plough, digging stick and
hoe (tool).
• Domestication – of animals, including
dogs[28][29]
• Pottery – emerged as a defining charac-
teristic of the Neolithic period.[29]
• Other
• Architecture – included houses and vil-
lages built of mud-brick and wattle and
daub and the construction of storage fa-
cilities, tombs and monuments.[30]
• Metalworking – copper use began as early
as 9000 BC in the Middle East;[31] and
a copper pendant found in northern Iraq
dated to 8700 BCE.[32]
• Numeric counting – record keeping
evolved from a system of counting us-
ing small clay tokens that began in Sumer
about 8000 BCE.[33]
• Proto-writing – ideographic and/or early
mnemonic symbols used to convey infor-
mation, probably devoid of direct linguis-
tic content. These systems emerged in the
early Neolithic period, as early as the 7th
millennium BCE.
• Neolithic signs in Europe
• Vinča signs (Tărtăria tablets), ca.
5300 BCE[34]
• Neolithic signs in China – at a range
of Neolithic sites in China, small
numbers of symbols of either picto-
rial or simple geometric nature have
been unearthed which were incised
into or drawn or painted on artifacts,
mostly on pottery but in some in-
stances on turtle shells, animal bones
or artifacts made from bone or jade.
• Jiahu symbols, carved on tortoise
shells in Jiahu, ca. 6600 BC
• Stone tools – ground and polished
tools were created during the Neolithic
period.[29]
4 3
• Religious structures – such as the Göbekli
Tepe built about 12,000 years ago.
• Wheel – in the late Neolithic period,
the wheel was introduced for making
pottery.[35]
2.2 Prehistoric Bronze Age technology in
the Old World
• Bronze Age – stage of development characterized
by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the
chief hard materials in the manufacture of some im-
plements and weapons and of developing trade net-
works.
• • Bronze Age China –
• Bronze Age India –
•• Early Indus script, ca. 3500 BC
• Bronze Age Europe –
2.3 Prehistoric Iron Age technology in the
Old World
• Iron Age – age characterized by the widespread use
of iron or steel, which coincided with other changes
in society, including differing agricultural practices,
religious beliefs and artistic styles.
• Tools – best tools and weapons were made
from steel.
2.4 End of prehistory and the beginning of North American continent.[36] In their book, Method and
history
• Development of true writing systems – in the icas, including the three prehistoric Lithic, Archaic and
Old World, true writing systems developed from Formative stages. The historic stages are the Classic and
neolithic writing in the Early Bronze Age (4th Post-Classic stages.[37][38]
millennium BC). The Sumerian archaic (pre-
cuneiform) writing and the Egyptian hieroglyphs are
generally considered the earliest true writing sys-
tems, both emerging out of their ancestral proto-
literate symbol systems from 3400–3200 BC with
earliest coherent texts from about 2600 BC.
2.4.1 Transition from proto-writing to true writing
• General developmental stages leading from proto-
writing to true writing:
• Picture writing system: glyphs directly rep-
resent objects and ideas or objective and
ideational situations. In connection with this
the following substages may be distinguished:
1. The mnemonic: glyphs primarily a re-
minder;
PREHISTORIC TECHNOLOGY OF THE AMERICAS
2. The pictographic (pictography): glyphs
represent directly an object or an ob-
jective situation such as (A) chronologi-
cal, (B) notices, (C) communications, (D)
totems, titles, and names, (E) religious,
(F) customs, (G) historical, and (H) bi-
ographical;
3. The ideographic (ideography): glyphs
represent directly an idea or an ideational
situation.
• Transitional system: glyphs refer not only to
the object or idea which it represents but to its
name as well.
• Phonetic system: glyphs refer to sounds or
spoken symbols irrespective of their mean-
ings. This resolves itself into the following
substages:
1. The verbal: glyph (logogram) represents
a whole word;
2. The syllabic: glyph represent a syllable;
3. The alphabetic: glyph represent an ele-
mentary sound.
3 Prehistoric technology of the
Americas
The New World, or American, periods began with the
crossing of the Paleo-Indians, Athabaskan, Aleuts, Inuit,
and Yupik peoples along the Bering Land Bridge onto the
Theory in American Archaeology, Gordon Willey and
Philip Phillips defined five cultural stages for the Amer-
• Paleo-Indian period – the first people who entered,
and subsequently inhabited, the American continent
during the final glacial episodes of the late Pleis-
tocene period. Evidence suggests big-game hunters
crossed the Bering Strait from Asia into North
America over a land and ice bridge (Beringia), that
existed between 45,000 BCE – 12,000 BCE,[39] fol-
lowing herds of large herbivores far into Alaska.[40]
• Athabaskan-speakers
• Aleuts
• Inuit
• Yup'ik[41]
4.2 Prehistoric tools 5

3.1 Lithic technology • Prehistoric art by region

• Japanese Prehistoric Art
• Lithic technology – occurred from 12,000 to 6,000
years before present and included the Clovis culture, • Scottish art in the Prehistoric era
Folsom tradition and Plano culture.[38] Clovis cul-
ture was once considered the first culture to use pro- 4.1.2 Domestication of animals
jectile points to hunt on the North American conti-
nent. Since then, a pre-Clovis site was found in Ma- • Origin of the domestic dog –
nis, Washington that found use of projectile points
to hunt mastodons.[42]
4.1.3 Language / numbers

3.2 Archaic period technology • Language itself –

• Archaic – was dated from 8,000 to 2,000 years be- • Origin of language –
[38]
fore present. People were hunters of small game, • Prehistoric numerals
such as deer, antelope and rabbits, and gatherers
of wild plants, moving seasonally to hunting and
gathering sites. Late in the Archaic period, about 4.1.4 Prehistoric fishing
200-500 CE, corn was introduced into the diet and
pottery-making became an occupation for storing • History of whaling#Prehistoric to medieval times
[43]
and caring food.
• History of fishing#Prehistory

3.3 Formative stage technology 4.1.5 Prehistoric hunting

• Formative stage – followed the Archaic period and • Hunting#Paleolithic
continued until the point of contact by European
people. Cultures from that period include that of the • Hunting hypothesis
Ancient Pueblo People, Mississippian culture and
Olmec cultures.[38]
4.1.6 Prehistoric mining

• Mining#Prehistoric mining
4 Prehistoric technologies by type
4.1.7 Prehistoric medicine
4.1 Primitive skills
• Prehistoric medicine
• Primitive skills –
• Dentistry#History
4.1.1 Prehistoric art
4.2 Prehistoric tools
• Prehistoric art – art produced in preliterate, prehis-
torical cultures beginning somewhere in very late • Timeline of historic inventions#Prehistoric
geological history, and generally continuing until
that culture either develops writing or other meth- • History of materials science#Prehistory
ods of record-keeping, or makes significant contact
with another culture that has, and that makes some • Archaeological industry
record of major historical events. • Oldowan
• List of Stone Age art • Mousterian
• Types of prehistoric art • Acheulean
• Parietal art
• Rock art – 4.2.1 Prehistoric clothing
• Cave painting –
• Prehistoric sculpture • History of clothing and textiles#Prehistoric develop-
ment
• Venus figurines
• Stone circle • Shoe#History
6 6 SEE ALSO

4.2.2 Stone Age tools 4.2.3 Prehistoric weapons

• Biface • Prehistoric warfare

• Hand axe • Prehistoric weapons

• Control of fire by early humans

• Bone tool
5 Gallery
• Spear#Prehistory • Reconstruction of how homo erectus may have
looked
• Prepared-core technique
• Model of a male homo antecessor of Atapuerca
• Blade (archaeology) mountains (Ibeas Museum, Burgos, Spain)

• Chopper (archaeology) • Reconstruction of Homo heidelbergensis

• Cleaver (tool) • A reconstruction of a Neanderthal male from the

Neanderthal Museum
• Tool stone
• Fire started using a bow drill
• Lithic flake
• Selection of prehistoric tools
• Lithic core
• Aurochs on a cave painting in Lascaux, France
• Lithic reduction

• Tranchet flake 6 See also

• Langdale axe industry
• Paleolithic diet
• Bow and arrow#History
• Paleolithic lifestyle
• Chopping tool
• Timeline of human prehistory
• Cupstone
• 5-MeO-DMT –
• Bann flake
• Aboriginal stone arrangement –
• Bare Island projectile point, just a few of many kinds
of projectile points • Acheulean –
• Adobe –
• Canaanean blade
• Adze –
• Celt (tool)
• Anatomically modern humans –
• Adze#Europe
• André Leroi-Gourhan –
• Anvil#History
• Anegundi –
• Arrow#History
• Archaeological industry –
• Sewing needle#Needles in archaeology
• Archaic humans –
• Basket#History
• Ard (plough) –
• Pigment#History
• Art of the Upper Paleolithic –
• Glue#History • Artifact (archaeology) –
• Rope#History • Assemblage (archaeology) –
• Bow drill#History • Axe –
• Woodworking#History • Basket –
 7

• Basket weaving – • Hafting –

• Beadwork – • Hammerstone –
• Blade (archaeology) – • Hand axe –
• Bone tool – • Hearst San Simeon State Park –
• Bow drill – • Henge –
• Burdei – • History of agriculture –
• Burin – • History of architecture –
• Burnt mound – • History of clothing and textiles –
• Cairn – • History of hide materials –
• Carved Stone Balls – • History of technology –
• Causewayed enclosure – • History of weapons –
• Cave painting – • Homo antecessor –
• Celt (tool) – • Homo cepranensis –
• Chamber tomb – • Homo erectus –
• Chopper (archaeology) – • Homo ergaster –
• Cist – • Homo floresiensis –
• Cleaver (tool) – • Homo habilis –
• Cliff dwelling – • Homo heidelbergensis –
• Clothing in the ancient world – • Homo rhodesiensis –
• Control of fire by early humans – • Homo sapiens idaltu –
• Cup and ring mark – • Human –
• Cupstone – • Hunter-gatherer –
• Denisova hominin –
• Hunting hypothesis –
• Denticulate tool –
• International Institute for Prehistoric Research
• Digging stick – Cantabria –

• Dolmen – • Irrigation –

• Domestication – • Jacal –

• Eraillure – • Jack Hranicky –

• Feature (archaeology) – • Jar burial –

• Fire-saw – • Java Man –

• Fire plough – • Khyad –

• Geoglyph – • Kistvaen –

• Goad – • Kiva –

• Granary – • Knife –

• Grinding slab – • Lantian Man –

• Ground stone – • Lithic analysis –
8 6 SEE ALSO

• Lithic core – • Pre-Pottery Neolithic A –

• Lithic flake – • Pre-Pottery Neolithic B –

• Lithic reduction – • Prehistoric archaeology –

• Lithic technology – • Prehistoric art –

• Long barrow – • Prehistoric music –

• Longhouse – • Prehistoric warfare –

• Megalith – • Primitive skills –

• Megalithic architectural elements – • Projectile point –

• Megalithic art – • Pyramid –

• Meganthropus – • Pyre –

• Molcajete – • Quern-stone –

• Mortar and pestle – • Quincha –

• Mudbrick – • Rock art –

• Mummy – • Rope –

• Music archaeology – • Sanganakallu –

• Nanjing Man – • Scraper (archaeology) –

• National Museum and Research Center of Altamira • Sickle –

– • Sidlaphadi –
• Navajo pueblitos – • Solo Man –
• Neolithic – • Stilt house –
• Neolithic architecture – • Stitching awl –
• Neolithic long house – • Stone box grave –
• Oldowan – • Stone circle –
• Outline of prehistoric technology – • Stone tool –
• Outline of technology – • Striking platform –
• Paleoethnobotany – • Technology –
• Paleolith – • Tenderfoot site 5GN1835 –
• Paleolithic – • Timeline of agriculture and food technology –
• Peking Man – • Timeline of historic inventions –
• Petroform – • Tool stone –
• Petroglyph – • Tumulus –
• Petrosomatoglyph – • Wattle (construction) –
• Pictogram – • Wattle and daub –
• Post in ground – • Weaving –
• Pottery – • Wushan Man –
• Pre-Pottery Neolithic – • Yuanmou Man –

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chaeology. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. p. 125. ISBN
0-631-17423-0.
• Tudge, Colin. (1997). The Time Before History: 5
Million Years of Human Impact. Touchstone.
• Wescott, David. (2001). Primitive Technology:A
Book of Earth Skills.
• Wescott, David. (2001). Primitive Technology II:
Ancestral Skill - From the Society of Primitive Tech-
nology.
• Wrangham, Richard. (2010). Catching Fire: How
Cooking Made Us Human. Basic Books; First Trade
Paper Edition.

[36] Cassells, E. Steve. (1997). The Archaeology of Colorado, • Zimmer, Carl. (2007). Smithsonian Intimate Guide
Revised Edition. Boulder, Colorado: Johnson Books. p. to Human Origins. Harper Perennial.
13. ISBN 1-55566-193-9.

[37] Willey, Gordon R. (1989). Glyn Edmund Daniel and

Christopher Chippindale (eds.). The Pastmasters: Eleven
9 External links
Modern Pioneers of Archaeology. New York: Thames &
Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05051-1. OCLC 19750309. • Ancient human occupation of Britain

[38] Cassells, E. Steve. (1997). The Archaeology of Colorado.
(revised edition). Boulder: Johnson Books. p. 9. ISBN
9781-55566-193-9.
[39] “Atlas of the Human Journey-The Genographic Project.”
National Geographic Society. 1996-2008.
[40] Viegas, Jennifer. “First Americans Endured 20,000-Year
Layover.” Discovery News.
[41] S. J. Crouthamel. “III. Paleoindian Traditions.” Palomar
College: Prehistoric Cultures of North America. 2013. Ac-
cessed 4 Feb 2014.
[42] Bhanoo, Sindya N. (October 20, 2011). “Big-Game Hunt
Adds to Evidence of Early North American Settlement.”
New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
[43] Kipfer, Barbara Ann. (2000). Encyclopedic Dictionary
of Archaeology. New York:Plenum Publisher. p. 341.
ISBN 0-306-46158-7.
• Department of Prehistory of Europe, British Mu-
seum
• Index of Ancient Sites and Monuments, Ancient
Wisdom
• Online Exhibits, University of California Museum
of Paleontology
• Prehistoric Science and Technology, Ancient Wis-
dom
• Prehistoric Technology, Ancient Arts
• Prehistoric Technology, Access Science
• Prehistoric Technology, Royal Alberta Museum,
Canada
• Prehistory for Kids
• Show me: Prehistory, Interactive, educational site

• Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natu-

8 Further reading ral History

• Fagan, Brian; Shermer, Michael; Wrangham, • Timeline: 2,500,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE, Jeremy
Richard. (2010). Science & Humanity: From Past Norman
to the Future. Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
• Quinson’s Museum of Prehistory, France
• Karlin, C.; Julien, M. Prehistoric technology: a cog-
nitive science? University of Washington.

• Klein, Richard. (2009). The Human Career: Hu-

man Biological and Cultural Origins, Third Edition.

• Palmer, Douglas. (1999). Atlas of the Prehistoric

World. Discovery Channel Books.

• Schick, Kathy Diane. (1994). Making Silent Stones

Speak: Human Evolution and the Dawn of Technol-
ogy.
 11

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