The prehistoric era was traced to be the period before the emergence of writing. Historical accounts were credited to early Anthropologists and Archeologists who studied fossils of early humans and other cultural artifacts.
Scholars believed that humans descended from the hominids because they showed distinct characteristics that differentiated them from the animals living during that time. Their means of adaptation to the environment were far more advanced and sophisticated compared to other animals. They did not only adjust through biological evolution but developed through cultural adaptation using intellectual and social skills.They formed small, nomadic bands that focused on hunting large animals using weapons made from stones or woods, gathering of wild foods including nuts and reproducing offspring that will eventually pass on their practices. Their ultimate goal was to survive.
The climate during that period was colder which made it hard for the hominids to settle in one place. As soon as the supply of food runs out in the area where they settled, they migrated to places that have favorable weather and enough food resources that can sustain the group. By the end of the Paleolithic period, there were human societies in different regions of the globe.As humans moved and settled from one place to another, their bodies adjusted to different climates and conditions that resulted to differences in the development of physical attributes and built among human beings. Migrations also lead to the birth of different civilizations in different regions of the globe.
As the climate gradually warmed, people made transition from nomadic to semi-sedentary living. Group size increased from kinship to seasonal aggregations of multiple bands. As large and permanent villages developed, different forms of survival strategies emerged.Farming crops and herding animals became the primary occupations of those who settled in West Asia.
Regional trade and exchange networks also appeared. In time, more sophisticated form of industry, commerce, government and religion developed. More complex societies were established and disparity in gender roles became evident. One can conclude that the Prehistoric era depicted the very essence of human existence, which is the continuous pursuit of perfection of their ways despite extreme climate change, wars and disputes among cultural groups, emergence of diseases and other life’s challenges.
