Migration From Africa

Humans Develop

160,000 BCE

Humans develop in Eastern Africa and grow in numbers. Today, this region is roughly Ethiopia and Somalia. Early humans traveled in groups along the coast hunting and scavenging for food. The climate near the coast was more moderate like the climate near the Mediterranean Sea today.

Traveling North

130,000 BCE

The discovery of some stone tools shows us that humans started moving north around this time period. However, evidence also suggests that they did not make it very far. The climate changed which caused the food they were chasing to become more scarce. The early humans that moved north at this time either died off or retreated back to the southern population again.

Desert Grows

115,000 BCE

The Earth is wobbling on its axis and it is causing extreme and rapid temperature changes. In this case, Northern Africa was turned into one large desert. The water dried up, which forced the humans that had migrated north to move back to the south.

The Isthmus Of the Red Sea

90,000 BCE

As the extreme desert of Northern Africa starts to recede, humans began to travel north again. This time the early humans crossed an isthmus leading to the other side of the Red Sea. They searched for new sources of food following the coast and traveling towards India.

Into Asia

85,000 BCE

Groups of humans slowly followed the coastline deeper into Asia. They traveled far enough to reach Southern China. However, Northern Eurasia was blocked off by a vast desert belt preventing early humans from moving further North.

Toba Eruption

75,000 BCE

Mount Toba's eruption threatened to wipe out the human population. Studies show that there may have been as few as 10,000 human survivors. The eruption caused a 6-year nuclear winter and covered India and Pakistan with roughly 16 feet of volcanic ash. To make things worse the eruption triggered a 1,000 Ice Age.

Repopulation

65,000 BCE

The dwindling population grows despite the ice age. Some of the human population in Indonesia traveled by boat to Austrailia. They successfully populated Austrailia.

Climate Heats Up Again

50,000 BCE

The climate starts to return to normal. More animals are able to survive which supplied humans with more food allowing them to increase their population. They also had access to Europe now, and they slowly followed the prey into Europe.

Quick Ice Age

45,000 BCE

A brief Ice Age centered in Europe, but 4 warm and wet periods followed the cold. This created great conditions for plant growth and eventually lead to the formation of the Fertil Crescent. After the short Ice Age, conditions were perefect for human growth and developement.

Dispersing Throughout Asia

40,000 BCE

Humans in Asia started to spread out. They followed animals of prey and rivers. The rough terrain was difficult to move through, specifically, they had to avoid vast mountain ranges and deserts.

Converging

30,000 BCE

Central Asians joined up with East Asians and traveled towards Northeast Asia Eurasia. Fossil records from this time show that there was another brief cold period in Europe. This may be the reason that humans started moving towards Eastern Asia.

Crossing the Bering Strait

22,000 BCE

During this time period, Russia and Alaska were connected by either land or ice. This stip of land is referred to as the Bering Strait. Native American ancestors crossed over this land bridge following their food source of animals. Most of the area surrounding the Bering Strait was made up of arctic deserts or frozen lakes.

The Last Ice Age

20,000 BCE

During the last Ice Age, humans were separated into 5 areas; The Americas, Europe, The Middle East, Southern Asia, and Austrailia. This divided the human population from each other with large sheets of ice, while they endured the ice age.

Humans Move South In America

15,000 BCE

Groups of Humans from Northern America move South in search of food and warmer climates. Languages and Cultures started to develop as they groups broke up. The tropical climate of South America was also challenging, however most of the Earth was still covered in ice.

Climate Warms and Stabilizes

12,000 BCE

The icy tundra starts to melt, and the weather becomes more humid and moist because of increased rainforest growth. Humans in South America cluster along the East and West coasts. In Northern America groups of people continue to move and shift, although many groups migrate to the coasts and stay there.

Farming

8000 BCE

The Ice Age finally recedes for good leaving wet fertile soil behind. Plant growth increases around the world. These conditions lead to the development of farming and agriculture. With the ability to farm people are able to live in one place and create a larger more stable community. There is no longer a need to forage and hunt, although it was still used to gather food, it wasn't the only source anymore.