50,000 BC 10,000 BC 3,000 BC
H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H7
I1 I2 I3 I4 I5 I7
J1 J2 J3 J4 J7
K1 K2 K3 K4 K7
L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L7
M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7
N1 N2 N5 N6 N7
A1 A2 A3 A7
B1 B2 B7
C1 C2 C3 C7
D1 D2 D3 D4 D7
E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7
F1 F2 F4 F5 F7
G1 G2 G3 G4 G7
Euphrates
Ganges
Indus
Krishna
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Mediterannean Sea
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
Persian
Gulf
Red
Sea
H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H7
I1 I2 I3 I4 I5 I7
J1 J2 J3 J4 J7
K1 K2 K3 K4 K7
L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L7
M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7
N1 N2 N5 N6 N7
A1 A2 A3 A7
B1 B2 B7
C1 C2 C3 C7
D1 D2 D3 D4 D7
E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7
F1 F2 F4 F5 F7
G1 G2 G3 G4 G7
Euphrates
Ganges
Indus
Krishna
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Mediterannean Sea
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
Persian
Gulf
Red
Sea
 
 
 
 

During this time Modern Humans migrated across Asia, along coastal and interior routes and ultimately further Eastwards into the Americas. There were also counter-migrations back West into Europe too so Asia will have been a place for much human activity and interaction. Modern Humans will also have come into contact with other Homo species during this time such as Homo Denisova (Denisovan) in Asia.

Asia in the Neolithic.

Ancient Asia.

Mediaeval Asia.

Modern Asia.

In The Middle East, the Upper Palaeolithic is the last phase of the ‘Old Stone Age’, which is characterised by the use of stone tools and goes back much further than humans themselves (to approx 3.4 million YBP).

It was a time of continuous migration out of Africa and across the world. The Middle East region would have been the first location those Early Modern Humans first leaving Africa would have reached, making it a crossroads for this migration. See Upper Palaeolithic Near East

The Neolithic in The Middle East. The Era coincides with the end of the geological Pleistocene period (Ice Age) and beginning of the warmer Holocene. The Levant and Mesopotamia regions, along with the Nile Delta in Africa become ‘The Fertile Crescent’ and the beginnings of Agriculture appear here, replacing the older hunter-gatherer way of life. Later in the Neolithic, but included in this time-span is the ‘Chalcolithic’ – copper metallurgy which would eventually give way to the Bronze Age (see Ancient Period).

The Middle East in the Ancient Period begins with the invention of Bronze, revolutionising the world that it encompassed, which started here and spread quickly into Europe, where it traded with (especially for tin).

Agricultural settlements become cities and knowldege from civilisations like Ancient Egypt spreads to the likes of Greece.

Migrations back into Europe from the Asia and the Steppe bring with it the Indo European Language root.

Mediaeval Middle East.

Modern Middle East.