What is the Difference Between History and Prehistory?

The main difference between history and prehistory lies in the existence of written records. History refers to the study of past events that have been documented through written records, while prehistory is the study of events that occurred before the existence of written records in a given culture or society. Here are some key differences between history and prehistory:

• Definition: History is the period of recorded events, while prehistory is the period before writing systems were developed.
• Sources: Information about history can be gained through written records, whereas information about prehistory is gathered from ancient carvings, artifacts, and other non-written sources.
• Researchers: Prehistory is researched by prehistoric archaeologists and physical anthropologists, while history is mainly researched by historians.
• Time Periods: History is the study of the past starting from the time period when the writing system was invented, while prehistory is the study of the past even before writing was invented and written records were maintained.
• Classification: The study of history can be classified into different domains like Ancient History, Contemporary History, Modern History, Political History, Military History, Cultural History, Economic History, Environmental History, and more. Prehistory, on the other hand, is typically divided into different time periods, such as the Stone Age, based on the development of tools and technology.

Comparative Table: History vs Prehistory

The main difference between history and prehistory is the existence of records. History refers to the recorded events of the past, while prehistory is the time period before writing systems were developed. Here is a table summarizing the differences between history and prehistory:

History can be classified into different domains like Ancient History, Contemporary History, Modern History, Political History, Military History, Cultural History, Economic History, Environmental History, and more. Prehistory studies three different time periods – the stone age, bronze age, and iron age.