Hem Period

Hem is the historical time period that immediately predates the modern era. It's boundries are between 12,000 and 4,500 years ago. It's name is derived from "Hem" in Sojxen mythology; meaning "The Before Time". This is in reference to the Sojxen Calendar marking the end of this period as year "0". The beginning of the Hem period marks the sudden appearance of human civilization and the end is marked by the Hem Catastrophe in which all Armasta's major civilizations and most of it's human population ceased to exist. Very little archeological evidence exists for this time period as it is believed that the Hem Catastrophe resulted in the destruction of most of the period's architecture and historical documents. The architecture that remains is mostly fragmented and fossilized.

Etymology
The period's name is derived from "Hem" in Sojxen mythology; meaning "The Before Time". The word "hem" appears in nearly all Sojxen Languages and directly translates to before. It is unclear if the word is named after the Hem Catastrope itself or if the period is called such simply before it was "before" the modern era.

History
Scientifically and Historically nothing is known about the period, and all "knowledge" of the period is derived from legends and mythology, Sojxen mythology in particular as it gives the most detail about Armasta during this time period, albiet heavily romanticized and presented in a pseudo-fictional manner.