Crossword Genius

Period Toynbee regularly covers? On the contrary, this is prehistoric (5,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

stone age

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'this is prehistoric' is the definition.
(part of prehistory)

'period toynbee regularly covers? on the contrary' is the wordplay.
'period' becomes 'age' (age is a kind of period).
'regularly' means one should take alternating letters (regularly take one letter, leave next etc.).
'covers?' says to put letters next to each other.
'on' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'the contrary' becomes 'st' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
The alternating letters of 'toynbee' are 'one'.
'age' after 'one' is 'oneage'.
'oneage' after 'st' is 'STONE-AGE'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for stone age that I've seen before include "before copper came in" , "Early period" , "Early epoch when man used pre-metal tools" , "Neolithic" , "Earliest known period of human culture" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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