One speaks of prehistory to refer to the period when humanity had no writing system , therefore, evidence of its own history could not be left. The idea of prehistory is divided, in turn, into two major stages: an initial one known as the Stone Age and a later one called the Metal Age.
General Characteristics of the Stone Age
In this age, the most varied tools manufactured were made of stone. From this abundant element of nature, it was possible to manufacture all kinds of utensils to facilitate daily life, such as hunting objects, large stones to build all kinds of buildings or sharp stones to cut food.
The Stone Age encompasses three major periods: Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic. The first began approximately two million years ago and the Neolithic ended with the last glaciation 10,000 years ago.
In these three epochs, stone tools were gradually perfected. In addition to stone, other materials were used, such as animal bones and wood obtained from trees.
Survival in the Stone Age was based on gathering food, hunting and fishing. As a general rule, human communities lived organized in small bands or tribes and practiced nomadism to survive.
In the Stone Age the first artistic manifestations took place and the custom of burying the dead was adopted. These actions took place during the Neolithic period, as soon as man abandoned nomadism and started to live in a fixed place.
everyday life
During this period the human being already knew the use of fire and thanks to it it was possible to heat and improve their food .
To keep themselves protected from the inclement weather and large mammals, the small groups temporarily took refuge in caves. In them it was possible to carry out all kinds of activities: making fabrics from the skin of animals, making paintings with pigments to decorate the walls or making tools for hunting.
The diet was based on meat, a food with high calorie and protein content. In this sense, some researchers claim that our current diet began more precisely in the Stone Age.
