Prehistory

• The time before writing was invented• Events that occurred in the past

before the invention of written records or writing

Investigating the PastUnderstanding the Past-Lotus Project

History: A Record in Writing

• The written and other recorded events of people–Written records tell us much more than

what is written and are more accurate–They can tell us what was important to

the people of that time

Archaeology

• Archaeologists are scientists who examine objects to learn about peoples pasts and cultures• Archaeologists piece together the

evidence from the past to “tell the story” of artifacts and previous living civilizations

Primary SourcesA document or object (ARTIFACTS) in use

or present during the period of time in history

An account of an event by someone who was present at the event•Pottery•Tools•Clothing•Housing

•Games•Musical instruments•Pictures•Food

Secondary SourcesAny document, source or person who

reports or analyzes primary sourcesAn account of an event by someone who

was not present at the eventEXAMPLES• Historians• Textbooks• Fiction books• Archaeologists

Oral Traditions

• Stories past down from generation to generation, through word of mouth, that can tell us what life was like during a certain period of time

• -Negative-not always historically accurate; stories often change as they are retold; like myths and legends, they often contain facts mixed with personal beliefs and exaggerations

Oral Traditions

Examples• Stories• Songs• Fables• Tall-tales• Poems• Myths• Legends

Only considered a Primary Source when it comes from the FIRST generation to tell the story,…each generation there after, is a secondary source

GeographyGeography is the study of Earth’s surface

and the processes that shape itGeography also refers to the features of a

place including–Climate (weather patterns)–Landscape –Location (water supply)

Geography and History

• The connections between geography and history can explain why some events occurred

• This can unlock a vast amount of information about past civilizations:• What types of crops they grew• What types of animals they hunted or

domesticated• What types of transportation they used