0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁Non eth eless , ▁Y - chrom os om es ▁F - M 8 9 * ▁and ▁I J - M 4 2 9 * ▁were ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁observed ▁in ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁plate au . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁evidence ▁of ▁rock ▁car v ings ▁along ▁the ▁N ile ▁terra ces ▁and ▁in ▁desert ▁o ases . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁mill en ni um ▁BC , ▁a ▁culture ▁of ▁h unter - g ather ers ▁and ▁fish erm en ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁a ▁gra in - gr inding ▁culture . ▁Cl imate ▁changes ▁and / or ▁over gra zing ▁around ▁ 6 0 0 0 ▁BC ▁began ▁to ▁des ic c ate ▁the ▁past oral ▁lands ▁of ▁Egypt , ▁forming ▁the ▁Sah ara . ▁Early ▁trib al ▁pe op les ▁migr ated ▁to ▁the ▁N ile ▁River , ▁where ▁they ▁developed ▁a ▁settled ▁agricult ural ▁economy ▁and ▁more ▁central ized ▁society . ▁ ▁An cient ▁Near ▁East ▁ ▁The ▁ancient ▁Near ▁East ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁practice ▁int ensive ▁year - round ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁currency - medi ated ▁trade ▁( as ▁opposed ▁to ▁bar ter ), ▁gave ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁the ▁first ▁writing ▁system , ▁invent ed ▁the ▁pot ter ' s ▁wheel ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁veh icular ▁and ▁mill ▁wheel , ▁created ▁the ▁first ▁central ized ▁govern ments ▁and ▁law ▁codes , ▁served ▁as ▁birth place ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁city - states ▁with ▁their ▁high ▁degree