Siyini isikhathi samatshe?
Context:Inkathi Yetshe kwakuyisikhathi esibanzi sangaphambi komlando lapho itshe lalisetshenziswa kabanzi ukwenza amathuluzi amatshe anomphetho, iphuzu, noma indawo yokushaya. Le nkathi yathatha cishe iminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-3.4, futhi yaphela phakathi kuka-4000 BC no-2000 BC, ngokufika kokusebenza kwensimbi. Nakuba ezinye izinsimbi ezilula zensimbi eziguquguqukayo, ikakhulukazi ukusetshenziswa kwegolide nethusi ngezinjongo zokuhlobisa, zaziwa ngeNkathi Yetshe, ukuncibilikisa nokuncibilikisa ithusi yikho okuphawula ukuphela kweNkathi Yetshe. ENtshonalanga Asia, lokhu kwenzeka cishe ngo-3000 BC, lapho ithusi lisakazeka kabanzi. Igama elithi iNkathi Yethusi lisetshenziselwa ukuchaza inkathi eyalandela iNkathi Yetshe, kanye nokuchaza amasiko athuthukise amasu nobuchwepheshe bokusebenza izingxube zethusi (ithusi: ekuqaleni ithusi ne-arsenic, kamuva ithusi ne-tin) zibe amathuluzi, okususa itshe ekusetshenzisweni okuningi.  Izinto zobuciko zeNkathi Yetshe eziye zatholakala zihlanganisa amathuluzi asetshenziswa abantu banamuhla, yizinhlobo zabo zangaphambilini zohlobo lweHomo, futhi mhlawumbe nezinhlobo zangaphambili ze-Australopithecus neParanthropus. Kuye kwatholakala amathuluzi enziwe ngamathambo ayesetshenziswa ngalesi sikhathi kodwa awavamile ukulondolozwa emibhalweni yemivubukulo. Isikhathi samatshe sibuye sihlukaniswe ngezinhlobo zamathuluzi amatshe asetshenziswayo.
Isikhathi samatshe kwakuyisikhathi sangaphambi komlando esaqhubeka izigidi zeminyaka futhi saphela phakathi kuka-4000 BC no-2000 BC, ngokufika kokusebenza kwensimbi. Ngalesi sikhathi, itshe lalisetshenziswa kabanzi ekwenzeni amathuluzi amatshe nezikhali ezinomkhawulo, iphuzu, noma indawo yokushaya. Isikhathi samatshe yisikhathi sokuqala ohlelweni lwezikhathi ezintathu oluvame ukusetshenziswa kwezemivubukulo ukuhlukanisa umugqa wesikhathi we-prehistory yomuntu wezobuchwepheshe ube yizikhathi ezisebenzayo, kanti ezimbili ezilandelayo yiNkathi yeBronze neNkathi Yensimbi, ngokulandelana. Nakuba ezinye izinsimbi ezilula zensimbi eziguquguqukayo, ikakhulukazi ukusetshenziswa kwegolide nethusi ngezinhloso zokuhlobisa, zaziwa ngeNkathi Yetshe, ukuncibilikisa nokuncibilikisa ithusi yikho okuphawula ukuphela kweNkathi Yetshe. Inkathi Yetshe nayo ivame ukuhlukaniswa ibe yizinkathi ezintathu ezihlukene: Inkathi yePaleolithic okuyisikhathi sokuqala futhi esiyisisekelo kakhulu; inkathi yokuguquguquka enamathuluzi amahle kakhulu aziwa ngokuthi inkathi ye-Mesolithic; kanye nesigaba sokugcina esaziwa ngokuthi inkathi ye-Neolithic. Abantu beNeolithic baba ngabokuqala ukushintsha besuka emiphakathini yabazingeli nabaqoqi baba abantu abahlala emadolobheni nasemaphandleni njengoba ezolimo zazisakazeka kabanzi.