"Prehistoric Archaeology"

Definition: Prehistoric archaeology is one of those chewy definitions that not everybody agrees on. Mostly, as compared to historical archaeology, prehistoric archaeology refers to the archaeological remains of cultures that are primarily pre-urban and so, by definition don't have contemporary economic and social records that can be consulted. The time depth varies across the planet; and some archaeologists consider any culture untouched by European colonization as prehistoric--but in a good way.

This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.