I was in a museum exhibit in Taipei some years ago. The placard stated that the Chinese writing system could be dated to approximately 11,000 years BC.
They had artifacts purported to be of that age with archaic inscriptions.
Our picture of the civilization timeline is very incomplete.
I visited that museum in Taipei and was AMAZED at the art-work from so long ago. Intricate ivory carvings, etc.
In my town near Seattle a few years ago they dug up some tools in a new development - dated to 10,000 years ago, and one of the earliest examples of human tools in North America. They pretty much just looked like rocks!