Historical Periods and Sources: Understanding Human Civilization

Defining History: Time, Space, and Consequences

History is the science that studies the facts of humanity in space and time, determined by analyzing the causes and consequences to better understand our present.

Sources of Historical Information

The aim of historians is to study the past by looking at directly observable traces produced by past societies. This collection is referred to as sources.

• Primary Sources: These include writings, materials, and graphics produced during the period being studied.
• Secondary Sources: These are works done by another historian, analyzing primary sources.

The Major Ages of History

Western history is traditionally divided into several major periods:

The Ancient Age

This period starts with the appearance of writing and concludes with the fall of the Western Roman Empire at the hands of the barbarians in the 5th century AD (specifically, 476 AD).

The Middle Ages

This historical period of Western civilization spans between the 5th and the 15th century. It conventionally began in 476 with the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Its end is often marked by two key events:

• The discovery of America in 1492.
• The fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, which coincides with the end of the Hundred Years' War.

The Modern Age

This is the third of the historical periods. The Modern Age championed the values of modernity (progress, communication, reason) against the preceding period, the Middle Ages, which is sometimes identified as a "dark age."

The Contemporary Age

This period designates the historical era between the French Revolution and the present day. Humanity underwent a demographic transition toward more advanced societies (the so-called First World).

The Shift from Prehistory to Civilization

Historians locate the beginning of history between 4000 BC and 3000 BC, marked by the appearance of writing. During this transition, a number of important changes occurred:

• Villages grew into heavily populated cities.
• Inhabitants shifted from seeking self-sufficiency to sharing and specialization.
• Emerging occupational classes included: artisans, peasants, priests, soldiers, traders, and slaves.

Technological advances also occurred, such as the birth of metallurgy, the use of animal power for farming, the invention of wheeled carts, and improvements in wind power for sailing.

Defining Prehistory

Prehistory is the period before recorded history. It begins with the appearance of man on Earth and ends with the invention of writing.

Key Periods of Prehistory

The Stone Age

The prehistoric period during which humans primarily created tools from stone. Wood, bones, and other materials were used, but stone was essential for manufacturing cutting tools and weapons.

The Paleolithic Era

This stage of prehistory is characterized by the use of carved stone tools and organic materials. It is the longest period of history, covering approximately 99% of human existence.

The Neolithic Era

This is one of the periods into which the Stone Age is divided.

The Age of Metals

This period of technological evolution is characterized by the development of metallurgy.

Major Transition: Predator to Producer

During the shift from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic, humans transitioned from being predators (hunters/gatherers) to being producers (farmers/herders).