This timeline of human prehistory<span> comprises the time from the first appearance of </span>Homo sapiens<span> in Africa 200,000 years ago to the </span>invention of writing<span> and the beginning of</span>history<span> approximately 5,500 years ago. It covers the time from the </span>Middle Paleolithic<span> (</span>Old Stone Age<span>) to the very beginnings of the </span>Bronze Age<span>. The divisions used are those delineating the European Stone Age; however, many regions around the world underwent various stages of Stone Age development at different times. All dates are approximate and based on research in the fields of </span>anthropology<span>, </span>archaeology<span>, </span>genetics<span>, </span>geology<span>, and </span>linguistics<span>. They are all subject to revision based on new discoveries or analyses.</span>
At the same time, they occupied the heart of prime bison range which was also an excellent region for furs, which could be sold to French and American traders for goods such as guns. The Lakota became the most powerful of the Plains tribes.
