In what years did cavemen live?

Brainyblonde

A caveman is a popular stylized characterization of what early humans or hominids may have looked and behaved like. The term is sometimes used colloquially to refer to Neanderthals, Cro-Magnon, or Homo sapiens of the Palaeolithic era. The first proto-Neanderthal traits appear in Europe as early as 350,000 years ago [1], by 130,000 years ago, full blown Neanderthal characteristics had appeared and by 50,000 years ago, Neanderthals disappeared from Europe, although they continued in Asia to 30,000 years ago. The Cro-Magnons form the earliest known European examples of Homo sapiens, from ca. 40,000 years ago, descending from Y haplogroup F / mt haplogroup N populations of the Middle East. The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic was the first period in the development of human technology of the Stone Age. It began with the introduction of the first stone tools by hominids such as Homo habilis (around 2,000,000 years ago) and lasted until the introduction of agriculture. It ended with the Mesolithic, or in areas with an early neolithisation, the Epipaleolithic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavemen Jul 25 06, 2:19 PM

zbeckabee

Here is a nice World History Timeline: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/worldciv/referenc/wrldtime.htm Jul 25 06, 3:54 PM

Gnomon

Cavemen never lived in caves, except in very exceptional circumstances. Jul 25 06, 4:22 PM

Baloo55th

As Gnomon points out, cavemen weren't usually. It's just that their remains get preserved better in cave conditions. By the time people have built new houses, or ploughed the land, where a prehistoric hut stood, there's not much chance of finding its traces. 'Buildings' of the time would be made of fairly short lived materials, and the only trace would be post holes (where the uprights were stuck in the ground). And only where those haven't been destroyed is there any chance of finding them. If cavemen only lived in caves, there would be very few of them indeed. How many caves are there near you? Inhabitable caves, that is. Jul 25 06, 4:37 PM

satguru

Technically it's true, people who live in caves do so more from choice or convenience than necessity. In Spain many people live in a complex of caves and when they get too small for them they dig a new room. There are other sites in various locations around the world but these are the most famous in Andalucia http://www.spanish-inland-properties.com/article/63/wombs-with-a-view-the-telegraph-18-may-2002/ Jul 25 06, 4:57 PM

zbeckabee

Some lived in huts they made from the skins and bones of prehistoric animals. Others lived beneath the shelter overhanging rock which protected from the elements of wind and rain. Others lived near the mouths of caves, leaving the deepest parts of caves for hunting rituals and ceremony. But, let's face facts...NOONE can be for shursies on exactly where they lived!!! http://www.digonsite.com/drdig/earlyman/12.html Jul 25 06, 5:24 PM