| Invention | When | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use of Stone Tools | 2,600,000 BC | Africa | first used by Homo Habilis in East Africa |
| Use of Fire | 1,420,000 BC | Africa | first used by Homo Erectus |
| Cloth Buildings | 500,000 BC | Africa | tents |
| Cutting Tools | 400,000 BC | Africa | first used by Homo Sapiens |
| Fishing | 38,000 BC | Africa | using bones as hooks |
| Spear | 30,000 BC | Africa | for hunting |
| Bow and arrow | 30,000 BC | Africa | for hunting |
| Art | 28,000 BC | Europe | cave painting in Central Europe |
| Cooking Pits | 25,000 BC | Europe | holes outside houses for cooking modern Ukraine |
| Counting | 20,000 BC | Africa | counting stick from Congo (in 60s) |
| Lamps | 17,000 BC | Europe | using animal fat fuel in Central Europe |
| Domestication of Dog | 12,000 BC | Europe Mesopotamia China |
for hunting and protection |
| Drum | 12,000 BC | Africa | first musical instrument |
| Boats | 10,000 BC | Pacific | dug out logs |
Homo Erectus learnt to use fire.
No other animal is known to use or has used fire. The use of fire allows humans to harness energy to produce heat and light at night and in areas where the climate is less favourable. This allowed humans to colonise large areas of the world away from their native tropical Africa. Fire allowed food to be cooked which made more things edible and easier to digest.
Modern humans date from about 400,000 BC when Homo Sapiens began to use cutting tools. By around 250,000 BC humans were burying their dead. Human speech began around 200,000 BC. Personal ornaments were being used c40,000 BC.
Humans spread out overland from Africa to Europe and Asia. They developed their hunting techniques as well as gathering fruits, nuts and grubs. Other humanoids became extinct.
Around 30,000 BC, the ice age lowered the level of the sea. This allowed humans to cross land bridges to the Americas and to cross small amounts of sea to Australia. By 10,000 BC the sea levels had risen again and the three continents remained isolated from each other for 9000 years.
A key development was the domestication of the dog. This was the first animal to be domesticated, becoming dependent on humans for shelter, food and breeding. In return, it helped in hunting and gave warning of intruders and some protection.
