Cross the archive by time

3.3 million yearson a single line.

ContinentAll Africa Asia Europe Americas Oceania

DomainAll Tools Writing Art Science Building Belief Frontiers

60 fragments shown · 5 continents · Beyond Earth

The timeline

Move with ← →between fragments, Enter to open one. A cluster opens the fragments it holds.

List view (accessible)

Oldestfirst.

The same fragments, oldest first

From 3.3 million to 300,000 years ago

From 300,000 to 30,000 years ago · × 10 times larger from here

From 30,000 years ago to 3000 BCE · × 10 times larger from here

From 3000 BCE to 1500 CE · × 10 times larger from here

From 1500 to today · × 10 times larger from here

2026 · you are hereWhat will remain of us?

Reading the line

Every fold is marked.Nothing is hidden.

× 10

Each marker widens time tenfold. Four folds: at 300,000 years ago, at 30,000 years ago, at 3000 BCE and at 1500 CE.

× 10,000

A century after 1500 takes ten thousand times more room than a century among the first three million years.

≈ 0.2%

Written history, from the first tablets about 5,000 years ago to today, covers a tiny part of the human story. The line gives it room so you can read it.