Human prehistory begins about 300,000 years ago with the earliest known Homo sapiens fossils and ends around 3200 BCE, when writing appears in Mesopotamia. People spread from Africa to every continent except Antarctica and made tools, art and fire-lit camps.
After the last ice age ended, about 11,700 years ago, farming began in several parts of the world, settlements grew and the first monuments were raised.
Explore this era on the timeline
Key events of the Human prehistory
380 events are on the timeline for this era; these are among the most notable, in date order.
- about 300,000 years agoEarliest known Homo sapiens fossils
- about 300,000 years agoOldest wooden hunting spears
- from about 202,000 years ago to 127,000 years agoRiss glaciation
- from about 115,000 years ago to 10th millennium BCELast Glacial Period
- about 75,100 years agoSymbolic engraving at Blombos Cave
- about 51,300 years agoSulawesi cave art is made
- about 50,100 years agoPeople reach Australia by boat
- from about 50,000 years ago to 2nd millenniumPre-Columbian era
- from about 50,000 years ago to 9,726 years agoUpper Paleolithic
- about 45,600 years agoOldest known cave art
- from about 45,000 years ago to 16,500 years agoJapanese Paleolithic
- from about 42,000 years ago to 5,126 years agoPrehistoric Egypt
- about 41,000 years agoNeanderthals disappear from Europe
- about 40,100 years agoNeanderthals die out
- from about 40,000 years ago to 5,026 years agoOrigins of Franchthi Cave
- from about 40,000 years ago to 31,000 years agoAurignacian
- about 40,000 years agoLion man of the Hohlenstein Stadel
- from about 38,000 years ago to 33,000 years agoChâtelperronian
- about 37,000 years agoVenus of Hohle Fels
- about 36,100 years agoChauvet cave paintings are made
- from about 35,000 years ago to 24,000 years agoGravettian
- about 31,000 years agoVenus of Dolní Věstonice
- about 30,100 years agoThe Venus of Willendorf is carved
- about 27,000 years agoVenus of Brassempouy
- about 25,000 years agoVenus of Lespugue
- about 23,100 years agoPeople are already in North America
- from about 22,000 years ago to 17,000 years agoSolutrean
- about 21,000 years agoLast Glacial Maximum
- about 20,100 years agoOldest known pottery
- about 20,000 years agoThe earliest known pottery is made in China
- from about 17,000 years ago to 12,000 years agoMagdalenian
- about 16,100 years agoPeople settle the Americas
- from about 16,000 years ago to 8th millennium BCEEpipaleolithic
- from about 15,500 years ago to 4th millennium BCEAfrican humid period
- about 15,100 years agoDogs are domesticated
- from about 15,000 years ago to 1st millennium BCEJōmon period
- about 14,300 years agoVela Supernova Remnant
- from about 14,000 years ago to 9th millennium BCENatufian culture
- from about 14,000 years ago to 8th millennium BCEAzilian
- about 13,000 years agoThe megafauna of the Americas die out
- from about 13,000 years ago to 9,750s BCEYounger Dryas
- about 12,400 years agoEruption of Moekeshiwan [Lvinaya Past]
- about 12,000 years agoHolocene extinction
- from about 12,000 years ago to 7th millennium BCEConstruction of Göbekli Tepe
- c. 9,750s BCEQuaternary extinction event
- 10th millennium BCEThe Holocene begins
- from 97th century BCE to 5th century BCEOrigins of Tell es-Sultan
- 96th century BCEShigir Idol
- c. 9,501 BCEBuilders raise the first monumental temple at Gobekli Tepe
- 95th century BCEFarming begins in the Fertile Crescent
- from c. 9,050s BCE to 8,850s BCEClovis culture
- from 10th millennium BCE to 3rd millennium BCENeolithic revolution
- from 10th millennium BCE to 3rd millennium BCENeolithic
- from 10th millennium BCE to 6th millennium BCEMesolithic
- from 10th millennium BCE to 7th millennium BCEMaglemosian culture
- c. 8,750 BCEEruption of Ulleungdo
- 86th century BCESheep, goats and cattle are domesticated
- c. 8,460 BCEEruption of Calbuco
- from 85th century BCE to 81st century BCEOrigins of Nevalı Çori
- c. 8,400 BCEEruption of Michinmahuida
- c. 8,230 BCEEruption of Grimsvotn
- c. 8,050 BCEEruption of Aira
- 9th millennium BCEOrigins of Tower of Jericho
- c. 7,600 BCEEruption of Roundtop
- from 76th century BCE to 25th century BCEChalcolithic
- from 76th century BCE to 41st century BCEOrigins of Lepenski Vir
- 76th century BCECats begin to live with farmers
- from c. 7,500 BCE to 5,700 BCEConstruction of Çatalhöyük
- c. 7,460 BCEEruption of Pinatubo
- c. 7,420 BCEEruption of Fisher
- from 75th century BCE to 60th century BCEKunda culture
- c. 7,350s BCEConstruction of Cueva de las Manos
- from 74th century BCE to 70th century BCEOrigins of Ayn Ghazal
- from c. 7,101 BCE to 5,701 BCECatalhoyuk grows into a large Neolithic town
- from c. 7,090s BCE to 4,950s BCEOrigins of Jarmo
- from c. 7,040s BCE to 5,000s BCEOrigins of Hacılar Mound
- 8th millennium BCEOrigins of Athens
- 8th millennium BCEOrigins of Tepe Sialk
- from 8th millennium BCE to 5th millennium BCEOrigins of Sesklo archaeological site
- from 8th millennium BCE to 4th millennium BCEOrigins of Khirokitia
- 8th millennium BCEDiscovery of copper
- 71st century BCEMaize is domesticated in Mexico
- 71st century BCERice is domesticated in the Yangtze valley
- from c. 7,000 BCE to 586 BCEConstruction of Tel Megiddo
- from c. 7,000 BCE to 2,600 BCEOrigins of Mehrgarh
- c. 6,600 BCEEruption of Karymsky
- from 66th century BCE to 31st century BCEPredynastic Period of Egypt
- c. 6,440 BCEEruption of Kurile Lake
- c. 6,300 BCEEruption of Aniakchak
- 7th millennium BCEStoregga Slides
- from 62nd century BCE to 54th century BCEOrigins of Tell Halaf
- from 62nd century BCE to 51st century BCEHalaf culture
- c. 6,100 BCEEruption of Makushin
- c. 6,050 BCEEruption of Menengai
- from 7th millennium BCE to 3rd millennium BCEOrigins of Singidunum
- from 7th millennium BCE to 2nd millennium BCEUgarit
- 7th millennium BCEDiscovery of gold
- 61st century BCEThe earliest known wine is made in Georgia
- c. 5,900 BCEEruption of Crater Lake
- c. 5,700 BCEEruption of Khangar
- c. 5,680 BCEEruption of Crater Lake
- from c. 5,600s BCE to 4,900s BCELinear Pottery culture
- c. 5,550 BCEEruption of Tao-Rusyr Caldera
- c. 5,550 BCEEruption of Mashu
- from 56th century BCE to 35th century BCEUbaid period
- from 56th century BCE to 20th century BCESumer
- from 55th century BCE to 27th century BCECucuteni–Trypillia culture
- from 55th century BCE to 45th century BCEVinča culture
- 6th millennium BCEDiscovery of silver
- 6th millennium BCEOrigins of Indian religions
- 6th millennium BCEOrigins of Aleppo
- 6th millennium BCEDiscovery of iron
- c. 5,001 BCECopper is smelted in the Balkans
- c. 4,750 BCEEruption of Hudson, Cerro
- from 46th century BCE to 8th century BCEOrigins of Dan
- from 45th century BCE to 38th century BCEBadari culture
- c. 4,360 BCEEruption of Macauley
- c. 4,350 BCEEruption of Kikai
- from c. 4,200s BCE to 2,800s BCEFunnelbeaker culture
- c. 4,050 BCEEruption of Masaya
- from 5th millennium BCE to 1st millennium BCEAncient Egypt
- 5th millennium BCEOrigins of Jerusalem
- from 5th millennium BCE to 3rd millennium BCEOrigins of Der
- c. 4,000 BCEOrigins of Thinis
- from c. 4,000 BCE to 3,100 BCEUruk period
- from c. 4,000 BCE to 3,500 BCEAmratian culture
- c. 4,000 BCEEruption of Witori
- c. 3,850 BCEEruption of Kaguyak
- from c. 3,700 BCE to 3,000 BCEMaykop culture
- from c. 3,700 BCE to 3,100 BCEBotai culture
- from c. 3,650 BCE to 3,300 BCEGerzeh culture
- c. 3,600 BCEConstruction of Ġgantija
- from c. 3,600 BCE to 2,500 BCEOrigins of Megalithic Temples of Malta
- c. 3,580 BCEEruption of Taal
- c. 3,550 BCEEruption of Pinatubo
- from 36th century BCE to 18th century BCECaral–Supe civilization
- c. 3,501 BCEPeople first tame horses on the steppe
- 4th millennium BCEThe wheel appears
- from c. 3,500 BCE to 2,500 BCEOrigins of Brú na Bóinne
- from c. 3,500 BCE to 2,800 BCEBaden culture
- from c. 3,500 BCE to 2,500 BCEAfanasevo culture
- from c. 3,400 BCE to 2,000 BCEKura–Araxes culture
- 34th century BCEWriting is invented in Mesopotamia
- from c. 3,300 BCE to 600 BCEBronze Age
- from c. 3,300 BCE to 1,100 BCEMinoan civilization
- from c. 3,300 BCE to 2,600 BCEYamnaya culture
- from c. 3,300 BCE to 1982Origins of Qatna
- from c. 3,250 BCE to 400 CEEgyptian hieroglyphs
- from 4th millennium BCE to 1st millenniumAncient history
- c. 3,201 BCENewgrange passage tomb is built