March to Civilization: This timeline charts the touchstones of human progress from simple villages to advanced civilizations. While many animals collaborate in groups, humans have taken community and cooperation to unparalleled heights. As humanity evolved from tribes to villages, and eventually to bustling cities, essential cooperative skills were developed. This timeline not only highlights advancements in bartering and dispute resolution but also explores the emergence of verbal language, mathematics, basic logic, and belief systems. Each touchstone marks a significant leap in our ability to live lives enriched by complex social structures and cultural achievements, illustrating how cooperation has been central to our success as a species.
March to Civilization: Societal Touchstones
Great Apes: Medicine Emerges
18 Million Years Ago, ± 3 million years
Causal reasoning, Early prefrontal integration
Transition from Trees to Savannah Begins
9 Million Years Ago
Enhanced spatial mapping and endurance planning
Early Wood tools
3.4 Million Years Ago
cognitive sequencing + motor precision + future modeling
Early Stone Tools
3.3 Million BCE (Hominins)
Prefrontal Cortex Expansion, Internal 3D modeling
Collective Learning Emerges
3.3 Million Years Ago
First Proto-Containers
2 Million Years Ago
Olduvai Gorge Site: A Glimpse into Early Organizational Behavior
2 Million Years Ago (Up to about 15,000 years ago)
Emergence of Early Hominin Shelters
1.8 Million Years Ago (+/- 500,000 years)
Seasonal Settlements at Zhoukoudian site
770,000 BCE
from circa 770,000 BCE to circa 5700 BCE
Hominin World Population: 2 Million (speculative)
700,000 BCE
Highly speculative. Based on rational analysis of the great apes.
Full Emotional Intelligence Emerges
700,000 Years Ago
First Clothes: Proto-Clothing and the Advent of Garments
600,000 Years Age
Transcendental Intelligence Emerges
475,000 Years Ago
Terra Amata Site, France
circa 400,000 Years Ago
Nice, France
Hominin World Population: 2 Million (maybe)
300,000 BCE
Very speculative.
Seasonal Settlements at Klasies River Caves
125,000 BCE
125,000 to 60,000 BCE
Blombos Cave Engravings
75,000 BCE
World Population: 1.5 Million
By 70,000 BCE
Oldest Known Bracelet
70,000 BCE
2,880 Generations Ago
The Sentinelese people on North Sentinel Island
70,000 BCE
circa 60 to 70 thousand BCE
Cuban Underwater City: More Research Needed
50,000 BCE
Speculative: 20 to more than 50 thousand years ago.
Upper Paleolithic Cave Art with Symbols
circa 40,000 BCE
Spain & France
Bone Flute
38,000 BCE
38,000 to 33,000 BCE
Czeck: Dolní Věstonice Community
30,000 BCE
29 to 32 thousand years ago.
Sunghir Burial Site
30,000 BCE
32,000 Years Ago
Advanced Sewing Needles
28,000 BCE
28,000 to 21,000 BCE
Earliest Known Domesticated Animal: Dogs
By 20,000 BCE
Seasonal Settlements at Franchthi Cave
20,000 BCE
From circa 20,000 to 3,000 BCE
Ukraine: Mezhyrich Community
18,000 BCE
15 to 20 Thousand Years Agao
Seasonal Settlements at Monte Verde
circa 14,800 BCE
World Population: 4 Million
10,000 BCE
Estimates range from 2 to 5 million
Jericho Founded
9000 BCE
Mexico: Guilá Naquitz (Agrarian)
circa 8000 BCE
Americas Agrarian Society
Egypt: Nabta Playa (Agrarian)
circa 7500 BCE
Middle East Agrarian Society
Fuxi (伏羲)
Circa 8000-7000 BCE
Nüwa (女娲)
Circa 8000-7000 BCE
Greece: Sesklo Culture (Agrarian)
circa 7500 BCE
Europe/Mediterranean Agrarian Society
Neolithic Symbols: China
7000 BCE
7000-6001 BCE
China: Jiahu Settlement (Agrarian)
circa 7000 BCE
Asia Agrarian Society
New Guinea: Kuk Early Agricultural Site (Agrarian)
circa 7000 BCE
Oceana-Australasia Agrarian Society
Atlit Yam Neolithic Village
6900 to 6300 BCE
Origins over 9,000 Years Ago
Oldest Known Flute in China
6,000 BCE
Dispilio Tablet: European Proto-Writing
circa 5,260 BCE
7,260 Years Ago
Vinor Circular Building: a roundel
4900 BCE
Up to 7,900 Years Ago (Neolithic)
Proto-Inca People
circa 4500 BCE
6,500 Years Ago
4004 BCE, The Bible’s Earth Creation Date
4,004 BCE
Sunday, October 23, 4004 BCE
Proto-Olmec People
4000 BCE
6,000 Years Ago
3761 BCE, Judaic Earth Creation Date
3761 BCE
Proto-Maya People
circa 3500 BCE
5,500 Years Ago
Cuneiform Writing
3400 BCE
3400 BCE to 100 CE (end of use for scholarly work)
3114 BCE: Mayan Earth Creation Date
3114 BCE
August 11, 3114 BCE
Oldest Known Dice: Skara Brae
3100 BCE
By 5,100 Years Ago
World Population: 15 Million
3000 BCE
Estimates range from 9 to 16 million
Fuente Magna Bowl: Forgery or Real?
3000 BCE
South America: 5,000 Years Ago
Shennong (神农)
circa 2800 BCE
The Divine Farmer
Gilgamesh, circa 2700 BCE
King of Uruk
Indus Valley Script: Northwest India
circa 2600 BCE
Mayans Emerge
Around 2000 BCE
4,000 Years Ago
Cretan Hieroglyphic script: Greek Island
1900 BCE
from circa 1900 BCE to 1700 BCE
Olmec Society Emerges
Around 1600 BCE
3,600 Year Ago
Oracle Bone Script: China
1250 BCE
Olmec Hieroglyphs: Mexico
900 BCE
From before 900 BCE to 400 BCE.
Inca Society Emerges
Around 1200 CE
Printing Press Invented
1440
Germany
Francis Bacon
born 1561
1561 to 1626
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)
British Naturalist and Explorer
Father of Biogeography