protohistoric
Before written records
Protohistoric describes the period between prehistory and recorded history—when a culture appears in written records kept by others but hasn't yet developed its own writing system.
The term often applies to societies known only through archaeological evidence and accounts from literate neighbors: protohistoric Native American cultures, the protohistoric Bronze Age.
The noun is protohistory.
Without written language
- semiliteratePoorly able to read
- early writingFirst recorded language systems
- cuneiformStylus-impressed ancient script
- hieroglyphicsSymbolic picture-based writing
Bronze Age · Iron Age · urbanization · social stratification · metallurgy · civilization · chiefdoms · emergence
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- settlementsEstablished communities or agreements
- burialsPlacing dead underground
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
radiocarbon dating · ceramics · typology · potsherds · lithics · anthropology · grave goods · middens
Distinct historical period
- eraDistinct historical period
- antiquityGreat age, ancient era
- timelineOrdered display of events
- periodizationDivision into distinct periods
preliterate
Without written language
- semiliteratePoorly able to read
- early writingFirst recorded language systems
- cuneiformStylus-impressed ancient script
hieroglyphics · Bronze Age · Iron Age · urbanization · social stratification · metallurgy · civilization · chiefdoms · emergence · threshold
excavation
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- settlementsEstablished communities or agreements
- burialsPlacing dead underground
stratigraphy · radiocarbon dating · ceramics · typology · potsherds · lithics · anthropology · grave goods · middens · relative dating
epoch
Distinct historical period
periodization · dating · sequence · millennia · centuries
oral tradition
Culture passed by speech
- epigraphyStudy of ancient inscriptions
- mythsTraditional untrue narratives
- legendsTraditional stories or icons
chronicles · annals · sagas · epics · griots · bards · folklore · philology · inscriptions · genealogies
protohistorichistoric
Of lasting significance
historical · recorded history · prehistoric · preliterate · modern era
protohistoricmodern
Of recent times
contemporary · present-day · current · prehistoric · recent
historic, historical, prehistoric, historian, prehistory, histogram, historically, histology, historicity