Key Points

Prehistory is the period before writing, studied through archaeology, and covers over 99 percent of human history. The historical period begins with the invention of writing about 5000 years ago, providing written documents as sources.

The earliest human ancestors evolved in Africa. Homo erectus was the first hominin to migrate out of Africa around 2 million years ago, followed by Homo sapiens (modern humans) around 125,000 years ago.

This was the longest period in human history, characterized by a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Humans used large stone tools like handaxes and cleavers for hunting and processing food.

Beginning around 12,000 years ago, this period saw a warmer climate and the development of small, sharp stone tools called microliths. People began fishing and created cave art, like that at Bhimbetka.

This period marked a major shift to a food-producing way of life through agriculture and the domestication of animals. This led to the first permanent village settlements, pottery, and new food-processing tools.

The Sumerians developed cuneiform, the Egyptians used hieroglyphics, and the Harappans used a pictographic script. Cuneiform and hieroglyphics have been deciphered, but the Harappan script remains undeciphered.

The world's four major early civilisations emerged in fertile river valleys. These were the Sindhu-Sarasvati (Indus), Mesopotamia (Tigris-Euphrates), Egypt (Nile), and China (Huang He).

Also known as the Harappan Civilisation, it was a Bronze Age society in the Indian subcontinent. It is known for well-planned cities, standard weights, and trade, with Mehrgarh being the oldest Neolithic site (c. 7000 BCE).

Located in the 'fertile crescent' between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, it was the earliest city-based civilisation. It included the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians.

The Sumerians were the first to develop writing (cuneiform), the wheeled cart, and a number system based on 60. They built massive temples called ziggurats at the center of their cities.

Hammurabi, a Babylonian king, created one of the world's first comprehensive written legal codes. The code detailed laws and punishments for civil and social conduct across his empire.

This civilisation flourished along the Nile River and was ruled by Pharaohs. It is famous for building pyramids as tombs, the practice of mummification, and using a hieroglyphic script written on papyrus.

The Rosetta Stone, a slab with the same text in Greek and two Egyptian scripts, was the key to understanding hieroglyphics. Jean-Francois Champollion successfully deciphered it in 1822.

This civilisation developed along the Huang He and Yangtze rivers, ruled by dynasties like the Shang and Zhou. It is known for bronze metallurgy, jade carving, silk production, and building the Great Wall of China.

China was the first country to introduce paper currency and establish a civil service system through public examinations. The Silk Route, a major trade network, was established during the Han dynasty.