1.
prehistoric era; prehistory; pre-literate period
The period of human history before the invention of writing systems. In Japanese history, this generally refers to the time before the earliest written records, ending roughly with the introduction of Chinese characters.
A compound of 先史 (prehistory, before written history) and 時代 (era, period). Commonly encountered in museum descriptions, history textbooks, and cultural discussions. In Japan, the Jomon period is the most well-known part of the prehistoric era.
Common collocations
- 先史時代の遺跡: prehistoric ruins
- 先史時代の人類: prehistoric humans
- 先史時代の文化: prehistoric culture
- 先史時代研究: prehistoric studies