Written records began after civilization; they do not record man's
original state. Human fossils, however, show that humans are older
than writing or other indications of civilization. Many of the dating
methods showing man's prehistoric antiquity are verified, among other
ways, by comparison with written history (e.g., Renne et al. 1997).
References:
Renne, P. R., W. D. Sharp, A. L. Deino, G. Orsi and L. Civetta.
1997. 40Ar/39Ar dating into the historical realm: Calibration against
Pliny the Younger. Science 277: 1279-1280.
Further Reading:
Tattersall, Ian, 1995. The Fossil Trail. New York: Oxford.