Prehistoric
Prehistoric, before locally established writing, oral mythologies centered on spirits and supernatural beings closely tied to the natural world.
Relevant Beasts
Namorrodor is a dangerous spirit associated with Arnhem Land traditions, linked to meteors and feared as a predator of...
Tiddalik is a giant frog with a broad, water-swollen body in Aboriginal Australian Dreaming stories. After drinking all the...
Wagyl is a great serpent spirit in Noongar tradition, associated with water, waterways, and the shaping of the land....
Rainbow Serpent is a powerful creator being in many Aboriginal Australian traditions, associated with water, rainbows and fertility. Stories...
Adlet are wolf legged humanoids from Inuit mythology, known as savage supernatural beings inhabiting Arctic regions and representing fear...
Yeti of the Rockies is a North American version of Bigfoot, a solitary giant humanoid roaming the Rockies.
Sub Categories
Aterian
85,000 BCE - 20,000 BCE. The Aterian culture in North Africa is known for its stone tools, which included tanged points, possibly used as spearheads. This culture adapted to the diverse environments of North Africa, from mountains to deserts, reflecting an early form of innovation.
Badarian
4400 BCE - 4000 BCE. The Badarian culture in Egypt marked an early agricultural phase preceding the Pharaonic civilization. Known for finely made pottery, stone tools, and early forms of social organization, the Badarians practiced early forms of farming and animal husbandry.
Capsian Culture
10,000 BCE - 6000 BCE. The Capsian culture spread across North Africa, with its inhabitants using stone tools and creating distinctive shell middens. This culture is known for its rock art, which features animal depictions and hunting scenes, suggesting an adaptation to diverse environmental conditions.
Chalcolithic
4500 BCE - 3300 BCE. The Chalcolithic period, or Copper Age, marks the transition between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age. During this era, humans began using copper for tools and weapons, leading to significant technological advancements.
In terms of culture, the Chalcolithic saw the construction of early fortifications and religious structures. Mythological creatures often associated with metalworking, such as smith gods, began appearing in myths. The use of metals in tools symbolized strength and divine power.
Colonial Australia
Colonial Australia began with British settlement in 1788 and lasted until the federation of Australia in 1901. This era brought significant displacement of Aboriginal communities, disrupting their spiritual practices and land connections.
Despite colonization, Aboriginal myths like the Bunyip persisted, adapting as symbols of resistance and cultural preservation. European settlers, often misunderstanding these stories, incorporated them into their own folklore, blending indigenous and colonial narratives into Australia’s unique cultural landscape.
Ertebølle
5300 BCE - 3950 BCE. The Ertebølle culture in Northern Europe marks a Mesolithic phase with a focus on fishing and gathering. They created pottery and shell middens, indicating a complex understanding of coastal resources. Semi-permanent settlements were established along riverbanks and coastlines.
Funnelbeaker Culture
4300 BCE - 2800 BCE. The Funnelbeaker culture, spread across Northern Europe, is noted for its megalithic tombs and pottery with a distinctive funnel-shaped top. They practiced agriculture, built large stone monuments, and established trade networks.
Hemudu
5000 BCE - 4500 BCE. The Hemudu culture, found in the lower Yangtze River area, is known for its wooden architecture and rice cultivation, one of the earliest in China. Artifacts include bone tools and black pottery, reflecting a sophisticated and organized society.
Jomon
Jomon denotes an archaeological period of prehistoric Japan, conventionally associated with cord-marked pottery and distinctive lifeways; its dates vary by region and scholarly framework.
In mythological analysis, Jomon may serve as a broad marker of ancestral time, not evidence for one shared mythology or belief system across distinct communities.
Kiffian Culture
8000 BCE - 6000 BCE. The Kiffian culture flourished in the Sahara during a wetter phase, with inhabitants living as nomadic fishers and hunters. Kiffian people created distinctive pottery and skeletal remains indicate they were notably tall. They adapted to a changing climate as the region gradually became arid.
Mehrgarh
7000 BCE - 2500 BCE. The Mehrgarh culture represents one of the earliest known settlements in South Asia. Located in present-day Pakistan, Mehrgarh is known for its early developments in farming and animal domestication. Residents lived in mud-brick houses and cultivated barley and wheat.
Mesolithic
10,000 BCE - 4500 BCE. The Mesolithic period, or Middle Stone Age, marks a transitional phase between the Paleolithic and Neolithic. Humans began domesticating animals, forming semi-permanent settlements, and using more advanced stone tools.
The Mesolithic is notable for the beginning of forest management and early agriculture. Artistic expression also advanced during this time, with carved stone figures and geometric designs appearing in many regions. This period reflects humanity's gradual shift toward a more settled lifestyle.
Neolithic
10,000 BCE - 4500 BCE. The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, was marked by the development of agriculture, the domestication of animals, and the establishment of permanent settlements. The rise of farming allowed humans to form larger communities, leading to the construction of early villages and towns.
This period also saw the creation of significant religious and ceremonial sites, such as Stonehenge. In mythology, fertility gods and goddesses played a key role, symbolizing the life-giving properties of the earth. This was a time of profound social and technological change.
Paleolithic
2.5 million BCE - 10,000 BCE. The Paleolithic period marks the earliest known stage of human history. This era is characterized by the development of rudimentary stone tools by early human species like Homo habilis and Homo erectus. Nomadic hunter-gatherer societies prevailed, with humans living in small groups, moving seasonally to find food and resources. Caves and temporary shelters were commonly used.
During the Paleolithic, early humans created some of the earliest forms of art, such as cave paintings and carvings. These often depicted animals like mammoths and lions, reflecting the creatures they encountered. This period laid the foundation for all subsequent human development.
Pre-Colonial Australia
Pre-Colonial Australia refers to the long and diverse period before European colonization, encompassing many societies and changing lifeways rather than one uniform historical age or chronology.
In mythological classification, it can signify an ancestral temporal horizon, where accounts connect origins, landscape, social order, and inherited knowledge, without implying a single shared belief system.
Pre-Colonial Tasmania
Pre-Colonial Tasmania denotes the period before British colonization, encompassing human history on the island prior to sustained European settlement and marking a historical rather than mythological chronology.
In mythological taxonomy, Pre-Colonial Tasmania can signify a remembered ancestral past and a framework for relating people, place, time, and inherited knowledge, without implying one uniform belief system.
Windmill Hill Culture
3500 BCE - 3000 BCE. The Windmill Hill culture in England is recognized for its causewayed enclosures, which may have served as communal gathering sites. This culture practiced early forms of agriculture, cultivating grains and raising livestock in small settlements.
Yangshao
5000 BCE - 3000 BCE. The Yangshao culture of China is marked by painted pottery and early developments in agriculture. Settlements consisted of semi-permanent villages where millet was a staple crop. The Yangshao people also domesticated pigs and dogs.