Human history

Modern humans evolved in Africa around 300,000 years ago and initially lived as hunter-gatherers. They migrated out of Africa during the Last Ice Age and had populated most of the Earth by the end of the Ice Age 12,000 years ago.

Soon afterward, the Agricultural Revolution began in the fertile river valleys of West Asia: humans began the systematic husbandry of plants and animals, and many humans transitioned from a nomadic life to a sedentary existence as farmers in permanent settlements. The growing complexity of human societies necessitated systems of accounting and writing.

During the late Bronze Age, Hinduism developed in the Indian subcontinent, while the Axial Age witnessed the growth and institutionalization of religions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Jainism, Judaism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism. As civilizations flourished, ancient history was marked by the rise and fall of empires. The subsequent post-classical history, from about 500 to 1500 CE, witnessed the rise of Christianity and Islam.

The early modern period, from about 1500 to 1800 CE, saw the Age of Discovery and the Age of Enlightenment. By the 18th century, the accumulation of knowledge and technology had reached a critical mass that brought about the Industrial Revolution and began the late modern period, which started around 1800 CE and continues. The increase in productive power has been accompanied by an expansion of international trade and colonization, linking the different civilizations in the process of globalization. Despite the devastating impact of the two world wars, the rates of growth in various domains have greatly accelerated over the last quarter-millennium, including human population, agriculture, industry, commerce, scientific knowledge, technology, communications, weapon destructiveness, and environmental degradation.