Prehistory
Cairn of Barnenez: One of Europe's Oldest Megalithic Monuments
A massive Neolithic stone mound containing eleven passage graves, partly quarried away in the 1950s, then excavated, restored and protected as a historic monument.
Era · Before c. 3000 BC
Prehistory
From the formation of Earth and the age of dinosaurs to the first cave art and monuments, before writing was invented.
Prehistory
Grand Menhir Brisé: Europe's Largest Prehistoric Standing Stone
The largest single stone known to have been raised in prehistoric Europe, later toppled and broken into four pieces that still lie on the site.
Prehistory
Hongshan Culture: Jade Dragons and the Niuheliang Goddess Temple
A Neolithic farming culture whose jade carving, ritual platforms and cairn burials made it one of the most important prehistoric cultures of north-east Asia.
Prehistory
Budj Bim: The Ancient Gunditjmara Eel Traps of Victoria
An extensive Aboriginal aquaculture system for trapping and holding eels, inscribed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in 2019.
Prehistory
Varna Necropolis: The World's Oldest Processed Gold Treasure
The cemetery revealed more than 3,000 gold objects and some of the earliest clear evidence of marked social inequality in prehistoric Europe.
Prehistory
Chengtoushan: The Oldest Known Walled Settlement in China
A round, moated Neolithic settlement in the middle Yangtze valley, generally regarded as the oldest known walled town in China.
Prehistory
Banpo Village: Yangshao Neolithic Settlement near Xi'an
The first Neolithic village in China to be excavated on a large scale, later preserved under cover as the Banpo Museum, opened in 1958.
Prehistory
Carnac Stones: Brittany's Neolithic Stone Rows and Their Mystery
The largest concentration of standing stones in the world, recognised in 2025 as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Prehistory
Badarian Culture: Early Farmers of Upper Egypt
The Badarian culture established farming, herding and elaborate burial in Upper Egypt and was followed by the Naqada culture that led towards the Egyptian state.
Prehistory
Ghassulian Culture: Copper Age Villages of the Southern Levant
The Ghassulian culture produced the Levant's first sophisticated copper metallurgy, painted shrines and clay ossuaries before declining by the middle of the fourth millennium BC.
Prehistory
Gavrinis Passage Grave: Carved Megalithic Tomb of Brittany
Gavrinis became the most richly decorated megalithic tomb in Brittany and a key to how Neolithic builders reused older standing stones.
Prehistory
Areni-1 Cave: The World's Oldest Winery and Leather Shoe
Excavations revealed the oldest known wine-making installation and the oldest known leather shoe, preserved by the cave's dry, stable conditions.