Prehistory

PREHISTORY I. History is divided into two categories. A. Prehistoric Time: before man learned to write and keep records. B. Historic Time: period since man learned to write and keep records. II. Prehistoric Time A. Archeologists are scientists who study prehistoric man. B. They make educated guesses through the study of: 1. Bones of man (reconstruct size and appearance) 2. Animal bones found near man. 3. Weapons, tools, utensils, and other artifacts. C. The earliest period of man?s history is the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic) 1. Manlike creature found in Africa (500,000 to 1,750,000 years ago) 2. Much like animals. 3. Set apart from animals by three things: a. erect posture: could use hands for defense or to hold weapons (thumb) b. speech c. large brain