History of the World the Blog: Stone Age Migrations

historyoftheworldtheblog:

Early humans, part of the zoological order of primates, began to create basic stone tools and usher in the Stone Age, a period of human history from 2.5 million years ago to 5,000 years ago. Due to the lack of written texts in prehistory, little is known about this period, but it is widely accepted that Homo sapiens evolved about 150,000 years ago in the area of East Africa’s Rift Valley and migrated out from there (known as the “Out of Africa” thesis). 

Homo sapiens migrated through Africa from 150,000 to 100,000 years ago, and from there to the Middle East, Asia, India/Southeast Asia, and China by 67,000 years ago. Then, from around 50,000 years ago, they migrated to Australlia/Oceania. 

Migration Europe and Central Asia was delayed, however, thanks to the cooler climates of the Pleistocene Ice Age, but settlements were made there by 40,000 years ago.

Migration to the Americas is still debated. Most scholars believe that Homo sapiens were able to cross from Eurasia over the Bering Strait land bridge to Alaska during a period of heavy glaciation.