Introduction to World Prehistory and History Timeline
You have been given a list of clues about the major events, civilizations, and religions we will be studying this year. Your job is
to do research and use your own knowledge and the clues to try to place the word bank items in their correct location on the
timeline. Write your guesses in the blank. Then look at the KEY to see how you did. Finally, cut and paste the correct events
into place (covering your original guesses) OR erase mistakes and write in correct answers so that you have a correct timeline
from which to learn and study.
Event
Category
Timeline
Prehistory
age, event,
or historical
period
Prehistory
age, event,
or historical
period
Prehistory
age, event,
or historical
period
Prehistory
age, event,
or historical
period
Prehistory
age, event,
or historical
4.5 billion years ago
Without this event, there would be no history or
prehistory or us!
250 million years ago
(mya)65 mya
World was “ruled” by these creatures that many
scientists believe are the ancestors of birds
4 mya – present
Evolutionary theory (based upon archaeological
evidence) says a primate line of species began during
this time
2.5 mya –
8, 000 BCE
AKA Stone Age 1: time of cavemen, wooly mammoths,
cave paintings
200,000 years agopresent
Only remaining hominid species (of which CroMagnon man is one example) evolves
Approximate year(s)
event occurred
Event Clue
Event from word bank
period
Prehistory
age, event,
or historical
period
Prehistory
age, event,
or historical
period
Civilization
or empire
20, 000 years ago
No more Neanderthals!
8,000 BCE3.500 BCE
AKA Stone Age #2 or the 1st agricultural revolution
5,000 BCE500 BCE
Earliest of the civilizations; forms in what is now Iraq
around the Euphrates River
Prehistory
age, event,
or period
Prehistory
age, event,
or historical
period
Civilization
or empire
3,500 BCE – 1,500
“Man” advances technologically by finding a stronger
BCE (varies by region) material to make tools instead of stone
2,500 BCE700 BCE
This civilization is perhaps best known for its
elaborate tombs and worship of the sun god Re
Civilization
or empire
2,500 BCE1,500 BCE
This river valley civilization was isolated
geographically due to the Himalayan Mountains to its
northwest
Civilization
or empire
2,000 BCE-?
What is considered to be the longest lived civilization
on Earth (due to its geographical isolation from other
early civilizations and superior military) forms
1, 500 BCE – ? (varies “Man” finds an even stronger mineral to replace the
by region—ends when previous one (and it is nice for sculptures, too!) This
region began writing) is the last of the prehistory ages.
around these 2 rivers
What is considered the first monotheistic world
religion is born and its people’s history is recorded in
the Torah.
Religion
2000 BCE – present
Civilization
or empire
1500 BCE1500 CE
These civilizations lasted until either drought,
disease, or the Conquistadores wiped them out
Religion
1,200 BCE to present
World’s most widely practiced polytheistic religion
starts to take shape in writings called the Vedas
Civilization
or empire
753 BCE500 CE
This empire is associated with chariots, crucifixion of
criminals, conquest of the Mediterranean Sea region,
and the conversion of Emperor Constantine to
Christianity (313 CE).
Religion
500 BCE – present
A man in India named Siddhartha Gautama sits under
a fig tree (the bodhi tree) and is enlightened by the 4
Noble Truths thus beginning this widely practiced
religion
Civilization
or empire
500 BCE300 BCE
This period of these islands’ history is known for
starting the world’s first democracy, Mt. Olympus and
its gods, and great philosophers like Aristotle and
Socrates
Religion
32 CE? – present
Civilization
300 CE-
A Jewish man’s teachings of salvation, forgiveness,
and charity become the foundation for one the
world’s most widely practiced monotheistic religion
African kingdom which engaged in trade with India
or empire
700 CE
and the Roman empire and first empire to become
Christian (330 CE) forms in what is now Ethiopia
Prehistory
age, event,
or historical
period
Civilization
or empire
400 CE1400 CE
The period of this world region’s history that is
known for its castles, dungeons and cathedral
building
600 CE –
1400 CE
This empire was built out of the former Roman
empire, had its capital city located in Constantinople,
and became the seat of the Eastern Orthodox branch
of the Catholic church
Religion
610 CE – present
A man in Mecca is spoken to by an angel and becomes
the final prophet in a long line starting with Abraham,
and including Moses and Jesus, thus founding the
world’s second most practiced monotheistic religion.
Word Bank
Prehistory age, event, or historical
Civilizations and Empires
Religions
period
Hominid species
(Australopithecines, Neanderthal,
Homo Erectus, etc)
 Ancient Indus civilization
 Islam
 Roman Empire
 Hinduism

Medieval Europe
 Egyptian Empire
 Buddhism

Birth of Earth as an object in the
Solar System
 Meso-American Empires
(Olmec, Toltec, Aztec,
Mayan, Incas, etc)
 Judaism






Iron Age
Neolithic Age
Age of Dinosaurs
Bronze Age
Homo Sapiens evolve

Paleolithic Age

All hominid species EXCEPT for
homo sapiens go extinct
 Kingdom of Aksum
 Ancient China
 Classical Greece
 Mesopotamia
 Byzantine Empire
 Christianity