What do “Paleolithic,” “Neolithic,” and “Bronze Age” mean on my timeline?

They’re the broad archaeological periods your branching points fall into. Roughly: Paleolithic (older Stone Age, before ~12,000 years ago), Mesolithic (~12,000–7,000), Neolithic (early farming, ~7,000–5,000), Bronze Age (~5,000–3,000), Iron Age (~3,000–1,500), then Medieval and modern. The bands group each split into its era so you can read the timeline at a glance.