The science of historical geography -- Early geologists tackle history's mysteries -- Time and geology -- Rocks and minerals : documents that record earth's history -- THe sedimentary archives -- Life on earth : what do fossils reveal? -- Plate tectonics underlies all earth history -- The earth's formative stages and the Archean Eon -- The Proterozoic : dawn of a more modern world -- Early Paleozoic events -- Late Paleozoic events -- Life of the Paleozoic -- Mesozoic events -- Life of the Mesozoic -- Cenosoic events -- Life of the Cenozoic -- Human origins.