The technological advances of prehistoric times were just as revolutionary as those of today, although they took place over a longer period. Mankind was transformed thanks to his mastery of fire, stone cutting and manufacture of the first tools. These advances consolidated communities and made it possible for them to progress materially.
Agriculture, stock-raising and ceramic manufacture all constituted genuine revolutions that led to sedentarisation, accumulation of surplus production and the first trade.
Finally, some groups were able to specialise in tasks unrelated with the search for food, such as metal working or making jewellery, which were truly theluxury itemsof the day. New needs led to new ideas and increasingly elaborate artistic and symbolic expressions. These societies evolved towards more complex models, with the emergence of the first hierarchies and the first urban planning.
Prehistoric cultures gradually came together to form the core of a definitive European spirit. We are the direct heirs of that world.