Approximately 10,000 years ago, desertification forced hunter-gatherer societies south into the Sahel regions of northern Central Africa, where some groups settled.[16] Farming began as part of the Neolithic Revolution.[17] Initial farming of white yam progressed into millet and sorghum, and before 3000 BCE[18] the domestication of African oil palm improved the groups' nutrition and allowed for expansion of the local populations.[19] This Agricultural Revolution, combined with a "Fish-stew Revolution", in which fishing began to take place, and the use of boats, allowed for the transportation of goods. Products were often moved in ceramic pots, which are the first known examples of artistic expression from the region's inhabitants.[citation needed]

The Bouar Megaliths in the western region of the country indicate an advanced level of habitation dating back to the very late Neolithic Era (c. 3500–2700 BCE).[20][21] Ironworking developed in the region around 1000 BCE.[22]

The Ubangian people settled along the Ubangi River in what is today Central and East Central African Republic while some Bantu peoples migrated from the southwest from Cameroon.[23]

Bananas arrived in the region during the first millennium BCE[24] and added an important source of carbohydrates to the diet; they were also used in the production of alcoholic beverages. Production of copper, salt, dried fish, and textiles dominated the economic trade in the Central African region