Humans have been on Earth for a very, very long time, millions of years! We usually learn about history from written records, but what about before people knew how to write? That time is called prehistory, which means “before history.”

A long time ago, a smart archaeologist named Christian Thomsen had a great idea. He said, “Let’s look at the tools people used and divide history based on the materials they used!” He divided history into three ages: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age.

The Stone Age was the longest time. People lived in caves or simple houses and used stones for tools. They learned to make fire, hunt animals, and find food.

Then came the New Stone Age. People started growing crops and making things like cups and bowls. This was a big change called the Neolithic Revolution. People didn’t have to move around to find food anymore. They could stay in one place for a long time.

After the Stone Age, there was the Bronze Age. People built cities and some people had more power and wealth than others. Later, there was the Iron Age, and people fought many wars.

In some places, people started writing during the Bronze Age or Iron Age. So sometimes, it’s hard to tell when prehistory ended and history began.