Viktor Vasnetsov's depiction of the Stone Age

By methodically interpreting artifacts and fossils, archaeologists, paleontologists, and historians have pieced together information about where and when the earliest humans originated, what the earliest humans looked like, and how the earliest humans lived and behaved. Scientists believe that between 100,000 and 400,000 years ago, a new human species, Homo sapiens, appeared. These early humans gathered nuts, berries, and other plants, and also learned to hunt. In order to survive, they made tools, worked together, and communicated with one another. Over many generations, early humans migrated from Africa to Eurasia, and eventually to Australia, in search of food.