Protohistory

Protohistory is the time between prehistory and written history. During this period, a culture or civilization has not yet created writing, but other cultures that can write have written about these groups. This helps us learn about people who did not leave written records themselves.

The word "protohistoric" can also mean the time when a society is just learning to read and write, but the first historians have not yet written their stories. Stories passed down by word of mouth can also help us understand even earlier times.

We can also use the word protohistoric when we find pieces of writing or records from other places that tell us about certain groups. For example, the Proto–Three Kingdoms of Korea, the Yayoi people written about by the Chinese, and the Mississippian groups described by early European explorers, are all examples of protohistoric times. These records give us clues about what life was like for these early communities.

Use of term

In the book The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe, archaeologist Timothy Taylor explains that because some societies had writing while others did not during the first millennium BC, this time period is often called "protohistoric" instead of prehistoric. He notes that learning about the past from archaeology is different from learning from written history, and having both kinds of information can be both helpful and challenging.

You can also find more examples in the writings of Brian M. Fagan about the protohistory of North America, as well as the work of Muhammed Abdul Nayeem on the Arabian Peninsula.

Chronology

Figuring out when a culture is prehistoric or protohistoric can be tricky for experts who study humans and societies. The timing can change a lot depending on where you look and how you count the years.

In simple terms, protohistory follows the same timeline as prehistory. It depends on how advanced a group’s technology is, especially with metals. This includes times like the Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age.

Civilizations and peoples

The term "protohistoric" was first used for groups called "barbarian" tribes, written about by writers from Europe and Asia. Many of these groups appear in stories from both older times and history. Some of these groups include the Alans, Balts, Bulgars, Celts, Dacians, Erie, Gauls, Germanic peoples, Huns, Kofun, Magyars, Mosopelea, Numidians, Parthians, Sarmatians, Scythians, Slavs, Susquehannock, Timucua, Thracians, Proto–Three Kingdoms of Korea, Yamatai in Japan, and the Yarlung dynasty in Tibet.