Humans migrate to Mesoamerica
It is currently unclear whether 21,000-year-old campfire remains found in the Valley of Mexico are the earliest human remains in Mexico.
Prehistory (250000 - 10000 B.C.E.)
First permanent human settlement is built, perhaps in modern day Czech Republic
Approximately 25,000 years ago, during the Upper Paleolithic period of the Stone Age, a small settlement was founded on the site of what is now Dolní Věstonice.
Humans invent maps, perhaps in modern day Czech Republic
A map-like representation of a mountain, river, valleys and routes around Pavlov in the Czech Republic has been dated to 25,000 B.C.E.
Aboriginal Australians begin their rock painting tradition, among the oldest art in the world
The oldest firmly dated rock art painting in Australia, dated at roughly 26,000 B.C., is a charcoal drawing on a rock fragment in the Narwala Gabarnmang rock shelter in the Northern Territory.
Humans invent baskets to gather and store valuables, perhaps in modern-day Eastern Europe
People used baskets as backpacks, as baby carriers, as cupboards, as plates and cups, as cradles, as birdcages, as measuring cups and as sandals, and to catch fish.
Humans use ovens to cook meat possibly for first time in modern-day Czech Republic
Many scientists believe cooked meat, and cooked food generally, played a pivotal role in early humans’ survival and success. Cooking not only gave early humans the energy they needed to build bigger brains but also helped them get more calories from food so that they could gain weight.
Early humans of Austria create the Venus of Galgenberg
The Venus of Galgenberg is one of the earliest examples of figurative art in Europe. The sculpture was discovered in 1988 close to Stratzing, Austria.
Gravettian hunter-gatherers flourish in modern-day Europe
The Gravettian was an archaeological industry of the European Upper Paleolithic that succeeded the Aurignacian circa 33,000 years BP. It is archaeologically the last European culture many consider unified.
Neanderthals create world’s first string
At 90,000 years old, the material purported to be string predates the arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe.
Humans create the first star chart, perhaps in modern-day Germany
The oldest known star chart may be a carved ivory Mammoth tusk that was discovered in Germany in 1979. This artifact is 32,500 years old and has a carving that resembles the constellation Orion.