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Of or pertaining to a period before written history begins; as, the prehistoric ages; prehistoric man.

Of or pertaining to the earliest Stone age; -- applied to a prehistoric period preceding the Paleolithic age.

The science or study of antiquities, esp. prehistoric antiquities, such as the remains of buildings or monuments of an early epoch, inscriptions, implements, and other relics, written manuscripts, etc.

One of a primitive people supposed to have lived in prehistoric times, in Central Asia, east of the Caspian Sea, and north of the Hindoo

r to the grizzly bear, but large; common in European caves. -- Cave dweller, a savage of prehistoric times whose dwelling place was a cave. Tylor. -- Cave hyena (Zoöl.), a fossil hyena found abundanty in British caves, now usually regarded as a large variety of the living African spotted hyena. -- Cave lion (Zoöl.),…

numerous in the lakes of both countries. They may be regarded as the very latest class of prehistoric strongholds, reaching their greatest development in early historic times, and surviving through the Middle Ages. See also Lake dwellings, under Lake. Encyc. Brit.

flint arrowhead; - - so called by the English rural folk who often find these objects of prehistoric make in the fields and formerly attributed them to fairies; -- called also elf bolt, elf dart, and elf shot. -- Elf child, a child supposed to be left by elves, in room of one they had stolen. See Changeling. -- Elf…

y of anything valuable; especially, a deposit, discovered by archæologists, of objects of prehistoric or unknown origin.

t, Austria, or the Hallstatt civilization. -- Hallstatt, or Hallstattian, civilization, a prehistoric civilization of central Europe, variously dated at from 1000 to 1500 b. c. and usually associated with the Celtic or Alpine race. It was characterized by expert use of bronze, a knowledge of iron, possession of domesti…

Aryan; -- applied to the languages of India and Europe which are derived from the prehistoric Aryan language; also, pertaining to the people or nations who speak these languages; as, the Indo- European or Aryan family. The common origin of the Indo-European nations. Tylor.

the northern parts of both continents. The last of the race, in Europe, were coeval with prehistoric man.

lls or of cinders, bones, and other refuse on the supposed site of the dwelling places of prehistoric tribes, -- as on the shores of the Baltic Sea and in many other places. See Kitchen middens.

nified; an ancient legend of a god, a hero, the origin of a race, etc.; a wonder story of prehistoric origin; a popular fable which is, or has been, received as historical.

One of the prehistoric towerlike structures found in Sardinia.

The study or knowledge of antiquities, esp. of prehistoric antiquities; a discourse or treatise on antiquities; archæology .

A peculiar bronze adz, used in prehistoric Europe about the middle of the bronze age. Dawkins.