Prehistoric Sites Around the World

Prehistoric people did not live in only one place. Their remains — bones, tools and cave art — have been found at many sites across the world. Studying these sites shows how humans spread and lived long ago. By comparing what is found in different places, historians can trace how early people slowly moved from one region to another over thousands of years, following food, warmth and safety.

Africa: the cradle of humankind

Africa is often called the cradle of humankind because the earliest human remains are found there. At Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, archaeologists found very old bones and simple stone tools, showing that early humans lived in Africa first.

Europe: cave painters

In Europe, prehistoric people left beautiful cave paintings. The caves of Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain contain paintings of animals such as bulls and horses, made thousands of years ago.

Asia: early human fossils

In Asia, one famous site is Zhoukoudian in China, where fossils of an early human known as Peking Man were found, together with signs that these people used fire. Prehistoric remains have also been found across Southeast Asia, including in Malaysia. The wide spread of these sites reminds us that the story of early humans belongs to the whole world, not to one country alone.