Short answers, pulled from the story.
Ancient history covers the period from 3000 BC to AD 500, spanning all continents inhabited by humans. It begins with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script and ends with the expansion of Islam in late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years.
The world population increased by 100 times over 10,500 years. In 10,000 BC it stood at an estimated 2 million, rose to 45 million by 3000 BC, reached 72 million by 1000 BC, and is thought to have stood at 209 million by AD 500.
Writing developed separately in five different locations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, and Mesoamerica. Proto-literate cuneiform spread across the Middle East by 3400 BC, Egyptian hieroglyphs appeared by about 3200 BC, and the Zapotec writing of Mesoamerica dates to 600 BC.
The three-age system periodises ancient history into the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. Recorded history is usually considered to begin with the Bronze Age, and the start and end of the three ages vary between world regions.
Dogs were domesticated first, dating to at least 15,000 years ago and perhaps earlier. Sheep and goats followed around 9000 BC in the Fertile Crescent, cattle and water buffalo around 7000 BC, and horses, donkeys, and camels by about 4000 BC.
The Austronesian expansion began from Taiwan around 3000 to 1500 BC and reached the Northern Mariana Islands by 1500 BC, the first humans to reach Remote Oceania. Later voyages reached Hawaii by 900 AD, Rapa Nui by 1000 AD, and New Zealand by 1200 AD.