What marks the dividing line between historic and pre-historic times?

Answer 1

The dividing line between historic and prehistoric times is when people started keeping written records. The process started about 3,200 or 3,000 B.C. in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Mesopotamia is what is now Iraq. Usually written records were kept for inventory. Then people started to record historical events. The union of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt is the first recorded "political" event in history. The Egyptians wrote in "hieroglyphics" on papyrus. The Sumerians in Mesopotamia wrote in "cuneiform" on clay tablets. So history begins at Sumer in Mesopotamia and in Egypt along the Nile River. A little later literacy begins in India along the Indus River and in China with the Shang Dynasty. Gradually literacy spread out to other lands. I hope that this has been a help to you.

Answer 2

The word "historia" (ἱστορία) means in ancient Greek : "a learning based on records, narrative". So the line between history and pre-history is given by written language as the basis of transmitting historical references. Most scholars consider that history begins in the 34th century BC with the introduction on Cuneiform by the Sumerians....wiki the terms to find out more...

Answer 3

It is a subjective assessment, referring to the survival and recognition of a written record...

Pre-historic does NOT mean not civilized. If records did not survive, if the marks were considered just decoration and meaning not known, a civilization may be considered prehistoric, and yet still have had complex and wonderful oral traditions, or recording media just not understood or which did not survive. Most of the very earliest records are simple lists or accounting records, almost certainly not the best those civilizations had to offer in terms of human creative expression.

Answer 4

Literacy, a civilizations ability to leave a record of itself. No record, no history. For example, the end of pre-history in the UK is traditionally marked by the arrival of Romans. However, in Ireland, (Where there was no Roman occupation) Pre-history is traditionally seen as ending more than 400 years later.

Answer 5

The ability to write.