Big Era 1: 13 Billion - 200,000 Years ago
Humans are part of a universe that is older and larger than we can begin to imagine. How was this universe created? How was the earth created? How and when were our ancestors created? What is our place in the universe? Are we important, or are we insignificant?
This Big Era sets the stage for human history. It is about the creation of our environment, of the world we live in, its landscapes, its plants and animals. It is also about the evolutionary steps that led to the creation of our species, Homosapiens. Understanding this era is vital if we are to grasp how human history fits into the larger history of our earth and the universe as a whole. This is because our ideas about the universe, the earth, and our own existence as a species affect how we think about ourselves and our history. They help us understand our place in the larger universe of which we are a part. So "creation myths," stories that help us understand how everything around us came to be, seem to exist in all human societies.
This Big Era sets the stage for human history. It is about the creation of our environment, of the world we live in, its landscapes, its plants and animals. It is also about the evolutionary steps that led to the creation of our species, Homosapiens. Understanding this era is vital if we are to grasp how human history fits into the larger history of our earth and the universe as a whole. This is because our ideas about the universe, the earth, and our own existence as a species affect how we think about ourselves and our history. They help us understand our place in the larger universe of which we are a part. So "creation myths," stories that help us understand how everything around us came to be, seem to exist in all human societies.