During the Prehistoric Age, which dates back around 4.5 million years to about 30,000 years ago, early humans lived without written records. This period, also called the Stone Age and Metal Age, was defined by the tools they used—basic stone and metal implements.

Early hominids discovered fire, made paper from plants, and built simple weapons. They used stone tools for daily activities like hunting, gathering, and carving, which led to the creation of "rock art" such as petroglyphs (carved into rocks) and pictographs (painted images). These were among the first forms of traditional media.

Eventually, humans learned to sharpen tools and carve stones, which helped them develop early forms of writing and marked the start of recorded history. The earliest writing appeared on clay tablets in Mesopotamia around 3100 BCE, with one of the first records being the allocation of beer. Printing later advanced in 220 AD with woodblock printing in China.

Prehistory is the time before written history, but it was full of technological progress. Early humans used stone tools for hunting, cooking, and even burial rituals, laying the foundation for future civilizations.