2 Ma-10000 BCE

<< | Neogene | Year Index | 10000-5000 BCE | >>

• 2 Ma
• 1.5 Ma Homo Erectus
• 1 Ma Jaramillo reversal
• 900 Kyr
• 800 Kyr
• 700 Kyr
• 600 Kyr
• 500 Kyr
• 400 Kyr
• 300 Kyr
• 200 Kyr Mitochondrial Eve

Late Pleistocene era (127,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE)

• 100 Kyr
• 90 Kyr
• 80 Kyr
• 70 Kyr Near extinction of man
• 60 Kyr Earliest writing
• 50 Kyr Mankind living in the area now known as Afghanistan
• 40 Kyr Cro-Magnons enter the region that is now France.
• 30 Kyr Last Neanderthals
• 20 Kyr
• 18 Kyr
• 16 Kyr Kabri, Israel first settled
• 12 Kyr Last Homo floresiensis
• 10 Kyr

Early Religion

A number of artifacts from the Upper Paleolithic (50,000-13,000) are generally interpreted by scientists as representing religious ideas. Examples of Upper Paleolithic remains associated with religious beliefs include the lion man, the Venus figurines, cave paintings from Chauvet Cave and the elaborate ritual burial from Sungir.

Late Pleistocene era (127,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE)

The late Pleistocene era was marked by an evolutionary advance in hominids known as known as the Neanderthal. Many consider the Neanderthal to be a side species, rather than early descendents of modern Homo sapiens. The evolution of these two subspecies was believed to be concurrent for about 10,000 years, with Neanderthals dying out around 30,000 BCE.

The late Pleistocene was a time of severe ice ages and Neanderthals were strong Ice Age hunters and were well suited to the cold climate.