Dawn of Humanity
A timeline of early human evolution from 300,000 to 50,000 BCE — the emergence of Homo sapiens, mastery of fire, and the first stirrings of symbolic thought.
Emergence of Homo sapiens
Anatomically modern humans appear in Africa. The oldest known fossils come from Jebel Irhoud in Morocco.
Early Homo sapiens in East Africa
Populations in Ethiopia's Omo Valley show fully modern skeletal features. Africa remains the sole home of our species.
Pinnacle Point shellfish harvesting
Evidence from South Africa shows Homo sapiens exploiting coastal resources — shellfish and pigments — suggesting complex survival strategies.
Earliest symbolic behavior
Ochre pigments and perforated shell beads from Blombos Cave, South Africa, indicate the dawn of symbolic thought and personal ornamentation.
Intentional burials begin
The earliest deliberate burials suggest emerging beliefs about death and possibly an afterlife — a hallmark of behavioral modernity.
Advanced stone tool traditions
Still Bay and Howiesons Poort industries in southern Africa produce finely crafted blades and composite tools, far surpassing earlier technologies.
Abstract engravings at Blombos Cave
Crosshatch patterns engraved on ochre blocks represent some of the oldest known abstract art — evidence of a mind capable of symbolic representation.
The Cognitive Revolution
A leap in behavioral complexity: fully developed language, sophisticated tools, artistic expression, and the beginning of the Out of Africa migration.
Humans reach Australia
Homo sapiens crosses a significant water barrier to reach the Australian continent — the earliest known sea voyage in human history.
Upper Paleolithic cultural explosion
Art, music, long-distance trade, and specialized tool kits proliferate across multiple continents. The modern human behavioral package is fully assembled.