ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the long 3-million-year time span of human prehistory and describes the major developments of the prehistoric past: human origins, the origins of modern humans, the beginnings of food production and the emergence of the first urban civilizations. Archaeologists study prehistoric times in a linear chronology, whereas traditional societies often think of time in cyclical terms. The basic principles of archaeology, dating the past, the importance of context, culture, and time and space define the archaeological record, while a variety of approaches attempt to explain how and why human societies changed over long periods of time. Archaeology studies the past from material remains, but in recent years has focused attention on trade and such intangibles as social organization and religious beliefs.
