The Forerunner Era was the name given by historians of the 23rd century to the period of roughly 500,000 to 100,000 years before their era. There was incredibly little knowledge available on the civilizations of this period, with only vague and uncertain references in ancient Vulcan historical records referring to long-lost, destroyed, or looted sites and structures. Research was practically impossible, and archaeology crossed over into palaeontology and geology. There was almost complete ignorance on these races, their deeds, and even what they looked like.