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200,000 BCE
Homo Sapiens First Appear
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Period: 200,000 BCE to 64,000 BCE
Middle Paleolithic Age
The Middle Paleolithic Period is a time in which archaic humans appeared across the globe. A majority of homo sapiens were scavenging but there is evidence of hunting and gathering. Human burials were taking place and we were beginning to take care of the elderly. The Middle Paleolithic Period ends with the disappearance of Neanderthals and homo sapiens sapiens began to dominate. -
170,000 BCE
Humans are Wearing Clothing
Clothing was made as a protective measure against the elements. More advanced clothing using fibers was made later. -
82,000 BCE
Earliest Evidence of Personal Adornment
Small, perforated sea shell beads are found in Morocco, becoming the first evidence of personal adornment found anywhere in the world -
70,000 BCE
Earliest Example of Symbolic/Abstract Art
In the Blombos Cave, South Africa stones were found with criss-cross or grid patterns. -
64,000 BCE
Bow and Arrow
The bow and arrow first replaces the spear thrower in Africa. -
50,000 BCE
First Sewing Needle
The first sewing needle is found to have been used by Denisovans, an extinct subspecies of homo sapiens. -
Period: 50,000 BCE to 21,000 BCE
Upper Paleolithic Age
Known as the last part of the Old Stone Age, the Upper Paleolithic Period is when man's greatest cultural progress occurs. This portion of the Paleolithic Period reveals diverse and specialized tools that now included bone as well as their typical flint and stone. Art also progressed and became more complex. -
42,000 BCE
Deep Sea Fishing
Evidence of deep sea fishing is found in East Timor, Asia, showing that humans had maritime skills developing which would be needed to cross oceans. This evidence also reveals that they were catching and consuming large amounts of fish such as tuna. -
40,000 BCE
Extinction of Homo Neanderthalensis
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40,000 BCE
Oldest Known Figurative Art and Cave Paintings
Hand stencils, red dots, and figures of animals are found in El Castillo, Spain in the Altamira Cave. -
40,000 BCE
First Human Settlement
Aboriginal Australians settle in Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne. -
40,000 BCE
Oldest Known Ritual Cremation
The Mungo Lady originating in Lake Mungo, Australia is found in a ritualistic manner. -
28,000 BCE
Oldest Known Pottery
The pottery was used to make figurines (possibly like the Venus of Willendorf) instead of cooking or storage vessels. -
25,000 BCE
Permanent Human Settlements
The oldest permanent settlement was found in Moravia in the Czech Republic. The huts were made of rocks and mammoth bones -
Period: 20,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE
Mesolithic Age
The Mesolithic Period was a time of transitioning. Climates and food sources were shifting, so the vast supply of proteins necessary for humans was on its way to extinction. Weather changes allowed for some societies to become more sedentary due to access of key nutrients becoming widely available, therefore there was a gradual shift towards a village like lifestyle. The first signs of horticulture and animal breeding are found in the Mesolithic Period, thus resulting in higher populations. -
16,500 BCE
First Colonization of North America
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15,000 BCE
Domestication of Pigs
It is estimated that the pig was domesticated during this time. -
14,800 BCE
Humid Period Begins
Beginning in North Africa, the humid period created what is now known as the Sahara. The land was wet and fertile and the aquifers were full. -
13,000 BCE
End of the Last Glacial Period
The climate warms and the glaciers begin to recede. -
13,000 BCE
Domestication of Sheep
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12,000 BCE
Domestication of Goats
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Period: 11,000 BCE to 5500 BCE
Neolithic Age
The Neolithic Age is the period of revolutionary settled lifestyles. While the concept made an introduction in the Mesolithic Period, it became permanent in this age. By becoming sedentary, cultural advances were made to societies across the globe because humans were then able to form closer bonds dependent on running a community. -
10,500 BCE
Domestication of Cattle
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10,000 BCE
Wheat and Barely Cultivation Begins
In what was once northern Mesopotamia, now northern Iraq, wheat and barely cultivation begins. The uses varied from gruel and soup to bread. -
5500 BCE
First Evidence of Mummification
The first evidence of mummification is found in Egypt. -
Period: 3300 BCE to 3200 BCE
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age signifies the end of prehistory. Early features of urban civilization such as the use of bronze and other precious metals, writing and other forms of communication make up a majority of the Bronze Age's advances. -
3200 BCE
Writing is Invented
Invented in Sumer which is now modern day Iraq, writing began history, marking the end of prehistory.
