The term 'ANCIENT' can be prefixed with the word 'paleo, ' which is a five-letter word. Paleo is derived from the Greek word palaios, meaning 'OLD' or 'ANCIENT.' It is often used to refer to the geological period of time before the Holocene epoch, which began 11, 700 years ago. Paleo is also used to describe the prehistoric era, which began about 2.6 million years ago and ended around 10, 000 years ago. In other contexts, it can refer to anything that is very OLD or from a long time ago.