ABSTRACT
Evolutionary studies have proven that in the course of human history, a series of changes and movements are evident in human and environmental development. This began with the development of hunting and gathering societies that led to a transition from the Stone Age via the Neolithic revolution, and then to the advent of the Iron Age. This view has become universally accepted, particularly by evolutionary theorists, as the actual origins, growth, and development of human history and society. Therefore, this chapter is an important aspect of the study of human prehistory, and it dwells on the study of these epochs to understand the nature and character of ancient societies and how they laid the foundations for the modern period of history. It also gives a glimpse into early human culture and traditions and an exposition of man's early development and the nature of the environment of various regions during these periods. As the development of societies occurred at varying rates, it is important to understand this trajectory of human development and its perception in Western scholarship, as those who engaged in exploration in Africa derived their perceptions of Africans from such notions and preconceptions of early human and society.
