protohistoric
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˌproʊtəʊhɪsˈtɔrɪk/
- Specialized
- Carroll Riley, in his book on the protohistoric Greater Southwest, uses Sauer's figures (1987, 57-58, 104-107).
Examples
-
Among the latter, the protohistoric Nahua discursive tradition figures prominently in Mignolo's formulation.
Academic text (1997) -
The Frontier People: The Greater Southwest in the Protohistoric Period
Academic text (1992) -
Archaeologists applied the discipline's renewed interest in household and community studies to excavating Aztec-period sites previously located through surface surveys, producing for the first time a substantial material record of protohistoric social and economic life.
Academic text (1997) -
The protohistoric artifacts found in the cave provided insights into early human life.
-
Researchers are studying the protohistoric cultures of North America to understand their traditions.
-
During the protohistoric era, some tribes began recording their histories in written form.
How Recorded
Surface Forms
Morphology
protohistoric = historic (semi-transparent) = proto + histor + ic
The word is formed by adding proto- to historic, but the term is a specialized label for a transitional period before full written history.
Etymology
The word protohistoric starts with proto- meaning 'first', the same proto- in prototype, and ends with historic meaning 'about history' or 'written records'. So, protohistoric describes the early stage when a culture has some writing but not a full historical record.