The birth of technology: the first stone tools
Gona, Ethiopia
The beginning of human technological evolution
The birth of language: when words changed the world
The foundation of culture and shared knowledge
Conquering fire: the first step towards mastering nature
Koobi Fora, Kenya
Warmth, protection and cooked food
The first bone tools: a step towards precision
Olduvai, Tanzania
Bone becomes a new material for tools
Stone meets wood: the first hafted tools
Kathu Pan, South Africa
Tools became more powerful and safer
Hides and leather: humanity's first clothing
Africa and Eurasia
Protection from cold and a way into new lands
The sparks that changed everything
Barnham, England
Fire whenever people wanted it
Throwing weapons: a long-range revolution in hunting
Gademotta, Ethiopia
Hunting from a safe distance
The first glue: an ancient adhesive technology
Campitello, Italy
The first way to join materials
Ochre: one of humanity's first pigments
Pinnacle Point, South Africa
One of the first steps toward art
The first jewellery: shells and beads
Skhul, Israel
Ornaments as signs of status and belonging
Compound paints: the earliest colour recipes
Blombos, South Africa
The first recipes for lasting paint
From engravings to masterpieces: the evolution of symbolic art
Blombos, South Africa
The birth of abstract thinking
The first rafts: a step into the world of navigation
Australia
The first crossings of the open sea
Bow and arrow: the long-range revolution of the Stone Age
Sibudu, South Africa
Accurate hunting from afar
The earliest needles: the origins of tailoring
Denisova Cave, Russia
Warm sewn clothing for cold climates
Rope: the invention that binds history
Abri du Maras, France
A universal tool for hunting and building
First steps in shoes: protection and adaptation
Tianyuan, China
Protecting feet from cold and sharp stones
The first melodies of humankind
Hohle Fels, Germany
Music as part of ritual and community
The boomerang: a weapon shaped by the wind
Obłazowa, Poland
A throwing weapon with clever aerodynamics
The first steps in ceramics
Dolní Věstonice, Czech Republic
The discovery that fire turns clay into stone
Woven baskets: humanity's first containers
Pavlov and Dolní Věstonice, Czech Republic
Light containers for gathering and storage
The first fishing hooks: the beginning of deep-sea fishing
Sakitari, Japan
The beginning of hook fishing
Pottery: the first pots
Xianrendong, China
Vessels for cooking and storing food