history, prehistory, chronology, evidence

The entry aims to explore the idea of prehistory from numerous angles. While apparently unproblematic and mundane, prehistory has accumulated numerous philosophical issues since its "discovery" in the 19th century. First, the entry explores the epistemological issues associated with the idea that documentary sources are qualitatively different and more informative than material record. It follows both philosophical and historiographical discourse and demonstrates issues with the epistemological definition of prehistory. The second part explores ontological consideration and the discredited idea that there is a substantial difference between civilized literate cultures and illiterate prehistorical people.

The entry aims to explore the idea of prehistory from numerous angles. While apparently unproblematic and mundane, prehistory has accumulated numerous philosophical issues since its "discovery" in the 19th century. First, the entry explores the epistemological issues associated with the idea that documentary sources are qualitatively different and more informative than material record. It follows both philosophical and historiographical discourse and demonstrates issues with the epistemological definition of prehistory. The second part explores ontological consideration and the discredited idea that there is a substantial difference between civilized literate cultures and illiterate prehistorical people.