Timeline of early human developments
This table tracks key milestones in human history, measured in years ago, from the earliest tools and the beginning of human evolution to the rise of the first civilizations. It covers critical advancements in technology, culture, and society.
| Years ago | Event | |
|---|---|---|
| 3,300,000 | ๐ ๏ธ | Oldest stone tools. Stone tool |
| 1,700,000 | ๐ฅ | Earliest definitive evidence of control of fire. |
| 1,900,000 | ๐คท | Homo began the use of pantomime for communication, allowing the transmission of information and experiences. Historical development of symbolic communication |
| 1,500,000 | ๐ฆด | Oldest bone tool. More detailed implements compared to the rigid and durable stone tools. |
| 1,200,000 | ๐ | Homo antecessor - homo recorded in the Spanish. |
| 780,000 | ๐ | Peking Man - homo which inhabited what is now northern China. |
| 480,000 | ๐ | Boxgrove Man - fossils of early humans found in Boxgrove south east coast of United Kingdom |
| 300,000 | ๐๏ธ | The earliest evidence of a human settlement. |
| 200,000 | ๐ฌโ | Development of language. Enabling complex communication, social organization, and the transmission of knowledge Origin of language |
| 170,000 | ๐ | Humans began wearing clothes. Helped in the migration to diverse climates. History of clothing and textiles |
| 100,000 | โฐ๏ธ | Oldest known burial rituals. Suggest the development of complex thought, emotional bonds, and beliefs about death, marking a significant step in human cultural and spiritual evolution |
| 73,000 | ๐ผ๏ธ | Earliest known rock drawing. The emergence of symbolic thinking, communication, and creativity |
| 66,000 | ๐น | Oldest known evidence of bow and arrow. |
| 66,000 | ๐ | First human habitation of the Australia. Prehistory of Australia |
| 61,000 | ๐งต | Oldest bone needle. Enabled the creation of tailored clothing and shelters. |
| 60,000 | ๐ | Interbreeding between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. Resulted in the transfer of beneficial genetic traits, like improved immunity and adaptation to diverse environments. Interbreeding between archaic and modern humans |
| 55,000 | ๐ถ | Simple flute - oldest object identified as a musical instrument. Indicating the development of culture and communication beyond survival needs. |
| 55,000 | ๐ฃ | Raft - earliest boat. |
| 43,000 | ๐ | Early European modern humans. Distinct physical features, like larger skulls and robust bodies, had advanced tools, art, and cultural developments. Aurignacian |
| 40,000 | ๐ฃ | First fishing. Provided a reliable food source. |
| 40,000 | โ ๏ธ | Neanderthal extinction. Due to a combination of climate change, competition with modern humans, and possible interbreeding. The result was the consolidation of Homo sapiens as the dominant human species, with some Neanderthal genetic traits passed on to modern humans. |
| 30,000 | ๐ | Domestication of the dog. Hunting assistance, protection, companionship, and improved survival through guarding and alerting to danger. |
| 26,000 | ๐ง | Last Glacial Maximum - most recent time during the Last Glacial Period where ice sheets were at their greatest extent. It opened the Beringia land bridge - a land connection between Asia and North America exposed during the ice age, due to the large amounts of water being trapped in ice. It allowed migration between the continents. |
| 24,000 | ๐ | Bluefish Caves - human occupation in Yukon, Canada. Peopling of the Americas |
| 14,550 | ๐ | Humans in South America. Monte Verde |
| 11,500 | ๐พ | Humans started planting grains. Allowed for food surplus, settled communities, population growth, and the development of complex societies. Agriculture |
| 11,000 | ๐ | Gรถbekli Tepe - Oldest known temple. Represents the earliest known example of organized religious or ritual practices. |
| 10,500 | ๐ฎ | Cattle were domesticated from wild aurochs. |
| 9,600 | ๐๏ธ | Chatalhoyuk - one of oldest proto-cities (large, dense settlement). |
| 7,000 | โ๏ธ | First smelted copper. Marked the beginning of metalworking, leading to the development of stronger tools, weapons, and the eventual rise of advanced civilizations |
| 6,500 | โ๏ธ | Wheel invention. Revolutionized transportation and machinery. |
| 5,100 | ๐๏ธ | Sumerians - first known civilization, a society with city-states, organized government, cuneiform writing, agriculture, social hierarchy, trade, religion with temples and specialized labor. |