Final answer:
The period before the invention of writing by humans is called prehistory, which includes significant phases like the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. The earliest known writing system is cuneiform from ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to around 3000 BCE.
Step-by-step explanation:
The era before humans invented writing is known as prehistory. This time period includes significant phases such as the Paleolithic period, which began about 2.6 million years ago and lasted until 12,000 BCE, followed by the Neolithic period that continued up to 4500 BCE. In prehistoric times, humans did not have written records, and hence, historians rely on archaeological evidence and oral traditions to learn about this epoch.
The advent of writing marks the transition from prehistory to history. The earliest known writing is cuneiform from ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to around 3000 BCE. Writing began as a functional tool to keep economic records in early cities, and later evolved into the recording of laws, religious texts, and for storytelling. Although the exact origins of writing are still debated, these systems profoundly changed how we could record and remember historical events, which allowed for a more complex societal development.