A reversal (the most recent) of the Earth's magnetic poles occurs in about 10,400 BCE, followed by the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, or Recent, Epoch at the close of the Würm Glacial Stage in Alpine Europe.

With the beginning of the Allerød, a warm interstadial, or transient, period, in about about 10,000-9,500, the glaciers retreat and the dry summers characteristic of the latter-day Mediterranean climate become a fixture in various parts of the prehistoric world, including California, southwestern Australia, Chile, and southwestern Africa.

Desertification begins to encroach on subtropical climes.

A catastrophically destructive cosmic event of global implications possibly occurs, according to some authors, around 9577.

According to Plato, earthquakes and floods destroy European civilization together with the legendary Atlantis.

Let's take a closer look at both Plato's tale and the catastrophe theory, then examine two epochs, 11591 to 9864, and 9863 to 8135, to see what else is happening in the world: