ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of human prehistory

Human prehistory includes all the time before people began writing down their history. It is when people first developed tools and started learning how to make art, how to use fire, and how to work together in big groups. Prehistory is split into different time periods.

The Stone Age is the very first period of human prehistory, and it started about 3.3 million years ago. People during this time made tools from rocks and stone, like sharp flint tools for cutting things, and axes for chopping wood.

After the Stone Age came the Bronze Age, which lasted from about 4000BC to 1000BC. People made tools from bronze, a shiny metal made from copper and tin. The Bronze Age also saw people start trading, making music and painting art.

Next was the Iron Age, which started around 1000BC. People during this time made stronger tools and weapons from iron. They also started farming, keeping animals, and forming towns and cities.

The last period of prehistory was called the Ancient Period. During this time, people wrote down their history, created beautiful art and literature, and developed systems of government. The Ancient Period ended around 476AD, when the Roman Empire fell.

That's the timeline of human prehistory!