Which Prehistoric Period Would You Be From?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Which Prehistoric Period Would You Be From?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Human history is full of fascinating events, but there's another period that is (probably) just as exciting in its own way: prehistory! That means the period before there was civilization, and in some people's opinion, it also includes the period when there was civilization but not much in the way of writing.

How do we know what actually happened in this era? There are various ways. Some of this involves studying artifacts such as beakers, arrowheads, and other basic tools. Sometimes it's about the art, much of which is beautifully preserved in caves. 

Sometimes it's all about digging up old remains. This can mean skeletons, sure, but it also means finding bodies like that of Otzi the caveman, whose frozen corpse was found in such good shape in the Swiss Alps that people actually investigated his death as a recent murder... only for it to be clear that the body was 5,000 years old. The twist: they found an arrowhead embedded in his body showing that he was, in fact, a murder victim! 

Further information can be gathered from the ancient DNA revolution in which population genetics can shine a new light on migration, displacement, and interbreeding.

All together, that means we have a pretty good idea what was going on before there was any way of properly recording it. So let's find out where you'd have fit in!

How long can you go before you feel the impulse to check your phone?
Wait, sorry, I was checking my phone.
A minute or two.
10 or 20 minutes.
I don't own a phone!
Do you feel naked without your watch?
God, yes.
Not if I have my phone.
Not if I can find out the time elsewhere.
No.
How on top of the news are you?
I get alerts and always read them.
I read the paper most days.
I watch the TV news.
I don't follow the news.

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How many times a day do you check Facebook?
Dozens of times.
10.
1.
0.
How often do you check Twitter?
10.
6.
2.
0.
Do you own a workstation?
No, just a laptop.
Yes, but I also have a laptop.
Yes, it's all I use.
No, I just use a smartphone.

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How much does your job rely on the use of social media?
Entirely.
Partly.
A bit.
Not at all.
How skilled are you with the use of Adobe products?
I know them in and out.
I use a couple of them.
I can use Photoshop a bit.
I don't use any of them.
How much television do you watch?
Many hours a day.
A few hours a day.
A couple hours a day.
None!

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What car do you drive?
An electric car.
A hybrid car.
A diesel car.
I ride a bike.
How do you typically commute to work?
High speed rail.
Subway.
A bus.
I walk.
Can you wire a plug?
That's child's play.
I'm sure YouTube will know how to do it...
If I can find detailed instructions.
No.

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What kit do you keep around to fix things?
Duct tape and WD-40.
Super glue and a Swiss army knife.
A screw driver set.
A hammer.
How often do you go to the movies?
Several times a month.
A few times a month.
Once a month.
Never.
How much time do you spend outdoors?
None of my time.
Some of my time.
Most of my time.
Nearly all of my time.

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How old is your cellphone?
A few weeks.
A few months.
A couple years.
I don't own a cellphone.
How often do you replace your laptop?
Once a year.
Once every two years.
Once every four years.
When it dies.
Can you do multiplication tables without a calculator?
No way! That's what cellphones are for!
No, that's what calculators are for!
No, that's what paper is for!
Of course I can! I learned in elementary school.

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How familiar are you with an adding machine?
What the heck is that?
It's it like a step up from an abacus?
Isn't that like an old fashioned calculator?
Very.
Can you drive a stick?
No, only automatic.
I can use the paddle shifters on an automatic.
I can drive a manual ATV.
Sure, I can.
Can you sharpen a knife?
No, I just buy new ones.
No, I just use dull ones.
Yes, I have a machine that does it.
Yes, I can do it with a stone and oil.

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Can you build a fire?
Sure, just give me a lighter.
Sure, just give me a flint striker.
Sure, just give me a Fresnel lens.
All I need are two sticks.
Can you put together a makeshift shelter?
No.
I'd need help.
I'd need a lot of instructions.
I could do it.
How many languages do you speak?
5
4
2
1

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How is your penmanship?
Exquisite.
It's okay.
It's poor.
I'm barely literate.
What is your highest educational degree?
A doctorate.
A master's degree.
A bachelor's degree.
High school.
What is the furthest you have traveled from home?
Thousands of miles.
Hundreds of miles.
Dozens of miles.
Miles.

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What are your grooming habits?
I have all the beauty products.
I only spend a lot of time on my hair.
I do all the basics, so I don't smell.
I wash.
What's in your go bag?
All my household paperwork, passports, etc.
My laptop and ID.
A knife, water purification tablets, and a lighter.
Nothing.
What kind of footwear do you favor?
Sneakers.
Dress shoes.
Combat boots.
Nothing.

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You Got: