Pre history

• To learn about the historic evolution, people ideally depend on

documents and written records. These factors formulate their
pictures of the past. Yet, no written records are found for the
prehistory of humankind
• Prehistory is defined as a time before the action of writing was
developed. How do people then know their past you may
wonder? Since there were no written records, those who
delved into history depended in their stories on archeological
and biological evidence. Archeologists and anthropologists
used their information to create postulates about our early
records.
• Archeology and Anthropology
• Archeologists' job is to study and examine artifacts or objects
made of human remains. The range of the artifacts has no
limits. It may be as simple as art or as dangerous as weapons.
Other artifacts or objects may include buildings made by
people. These factors help enhance their studies.
• Some examples of fossils are skeletons and
footprints.
• Archeologists and anthropologists
• set their own scientific methods to move forward
with their work. They search on sites or cautiously
dig up land; they study early human life in Africa,
Europe, and Asia.
• Archeology is the study of past lives through the
assumptions of what people have left behind.
• Anthropology is known as the study of human life
and culture. Culture is based on what people wear,
the way they organize their society, and their
morals.
• Usually searches for human fossils or other artifacts
happen at different places around the globe. Archeologists
usually seek to uncover fossil remains of early humans.
Such remains include ancient cities and burial grounds.
This helps them together with anthropologists to present
evidence-based studies with better analysis and greater
understanding of ancient societies. Radiocarbon dating
determines the age of the artifacts and fossils for no more
than 50,000 years.
• Scientists previously used several elements in their
observations. For objects dating back to 200,000 years, they
depended on thermoluminescence, a form of luminescence
that is exhibited by certain crystalline materials, such as
some minerals, when previously absorbed energy from
electromagnetic radiation or other ionizing radiation is re-
emitted as light upon heating of the material. Another
evidence scientist used is analyzing the DNA, the
• Bands are the most primitive form of human organizations. This is
usually a loosely bound group of 25 to 60 people who are related by
kinship ties. The group cooperates in hunting and gathering activities
without any form of permanent leadership. Many a hunting and
gathering population in the world is even today found to live in Band
Societies.
• The Paleolithic Era
• The Paleolithic Era- or the old stone age- is a prehistoric period of
human history where humans from 100s of 1000s of years relied on
simple stone tools.
• People at that time gathered their daily food from hunting animals
such as buffalo, horses and bison, and from gathering nuts, berries,
and fruits. They used to carefully observe animal migration and
vegetative cycles to hunt successfully.
• Nomads was the term used to define
• Paleolithic people; these people mainly moved from one place to
another for survival purposes.
• Men and women at that age had a role in sustaining life by finding
• Use of Stones
• One of the hard stones early people used was flint. They used to
sharpen the edges of flint stones to manufacture pointed tools such
as hand axes. Over time, they developed better tools, and later they
invented the bow and arrow, harpoons, and fishhooks.
• Use of Fire
• Paleolithic people used fire as a heat source for cooking and
warmth especially while moving to colder areas. Fire kept people
safe by keeping wild animals away.Fire also helped them during the
Ice Age, where sheets of ice covered huge areas in Europe, North
America, and Asia.
• Arts
• Paleolithic people had an active role in building their own culture
as well.They realistically painted large animals such as lions,Oxen,
owls and many others by mixing mineral ores and fat to make
several paint colors.
• Paleolithic a Greek word that means old stone.Hunting depended
The Byzantine Empire
• With all the changes that took place in the western and eastern parts of the Roman
Empire, it continued to survive, although in different forms. into the fifth century .
The eastern part of the Roman Empire was not apart from all what went on in the
rest of the empire. The Eastern Roman Empire was also on its way to develop into a
new empire, that of the Byzantine.
• The eastern part of the Roman Empire came under the leadership of Emperor
Justinian who had a dream of restoring the whole of the Empire in the
Mediterranean. In 552, Justinian could attain his dream, and the whole
Mediterranean world including Italy North of Africa, Asia Minor, and other areas,
came under his control. The whole dream yet drifted in vain, and all areas
conquered were lost completely three years after Justinian’s death
• The Shift from a Roman to a Byzantine Empire
• Several factors threatened the accomplishments of Justinian. These included the
continuously declining population that was affected by the plague and the vast
territories that needed to be protected. These territories were far from the capital,
Constantinople, which made it difficult to provide enough military forces to protect
the different frontiers especially in the light of the empty treasury.
• The Romans started losing more land with the growth and unity of strong Arab
forces that swept through different areas and took control over several provinces.
Rome shrank in size and became known as the Eastern Roman Empire or the
Byzantine Empire. Consisting of the Balkans and Asia Minor, the Christian state,
adopted and applied in its practices the rules of Christianity. Laws and people
became infatuated with the Christian religion, and they believed that their patriarch
• Under the rule of Justinian, Constantinople was rebuilt to maintain its position as
the largest city in medieval Europe. It became a major hub and center for
commerce. Imports and exports of all kinds of products flourished. Products like fur,
silk, jewelry, ivory, spices, honey and others came in from Russia, China, India,
Balkans and South East Asia.
• The demand for silk increased dramatically during Justinian's ruling which made the
empire famous for this industry and for silk cloth in specific. Justinian also paid
enough attention to the empire's architecture and during his reign many palaces,
churches, and a huge arena known as the Hippodrome were built. Other projects
that flourished during this period included courts, schools, roads, underground
reservoirs, and others.
• The Hippodrome was an arena for chariot races and other forms of
entertainment.Many monuments and artworks were brought frost the different areas
in the empire to adorn it.
• The Byzantine formed a new dynasty with new emperors known as the
Macedonians, and with their ruling, the empire expanded only to conquer vast lands
around Europe including Syria, Crete, Cyprus, and Bulgaria. Macedonians ruled from
867 to 1081, and they were able to defend themselves against their enemies during
their reign. The popularity of commerce grew during this period as well.
Constantinople became a famous point for trade, and a place that attracted tourists
from around the world.
• The successors of the Macedonian dynasty failed to keep everything in order and by
the eleventh century, trouble increased between the Catholic Church of the West