In recent decades, numerous publications have appeared on the prehistory of humankind, some of small scope and therefore concise, others in the form of large monographs aimed at a narrow circle of specialists and thus largely unknown to broader audiences. The present work aims to occupy a middle ground: it is designed to be comprehensive enough to address all major questions in sufficient detail, providing the reader with an overall overview of the research conducted. While it may also serve as a useful reference for the more specialized expert, it is primarily structured to act as a mentor for a wider educated audience. Accordingly, issues of broader interest are given thorough consideration, while the chapters on alluvial periods receive only a more general treatment.