From where comes the human civilization and to where it goes? This is both a serious philosophical proposition and a social issue for every person on the earth to pay attention to. In the present paper, the existence of the prehistoric "wood age" is discussed firstly, then the contributions of wood to the Natural Sciences and the Humane Studies are comprehensively analyzed, and finally, the three global problems of food, energy and environment for the mankind are discussed at the angle of "wood". From the mankind development process, the tool formation conditions and the related other historical evidences, it is concluded that the existence of the prehistoric "wood age" is an objective fact, and the mankind had experienced a very long "wood age" before entering into the stone age. Wood has companied our human activities for the longest time, and accordingly, the activities of human beings related with wood should be the most widespread, and wood has greatly contributed to the formation and the development of the natural sciences and the humane studies. Drawing lessons from the past history, wood science and technology could be expected to be possible ways to solve the present food, energy and environment problems.

wood  /  human civilization  /  wood age