Several of the older civilizations in Essos (such as Old Ghis and Yi Ti) have written records that stretch back to the Long Night cataclysm, about 8,000 years ago. Within the known timeline, written historical records stretch back about 6,000 years before the time of the TV series, around the time that the Andal Invasion introduced a full writing system to Westeros. It is unknown if humans were literally created by supernatural forces, such as how the races in Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium were created, or if they evolved from simpler life-forms as on real-life Earth (though the concept of biological evolution has never been developed by the inhabitants of Westeros's medieval setting).

Different religions offer different supernatural origin myths for the human race, though it isn't clear which - if any - is correct. None of the inhabitants of the world that Westeros is set on can say with certainty how old it is, nor how long the human race has lived on it. It is a navigation portal, meant to give a brief description of each group and its relationship to other groups, but more extensive information can be found by following the links to the main article devoted to each. This article is a condensed guide to the numerous and diverse cultures and peoples living in the known world, across the three known continents of Westeros, Essos, and Sothoryos. Khal Drogo of the Dothraki, and Daenerys Targaryen (descended from the Valyrians).

' I suppose all of our ancestors came from somewhere else, originally.' ― Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish

Game of thrones civilization