Reference : Idioms : Time : the year dot | the year one

the year dot | the year one

Meaning: You can say "the year dot", or "the year one", when you're talking about a very, very long time ago.

For example:

There have been people living in Australia since the year dot, but Europeans have only been there for about two hundred years.
People have been interested in the stars and the moon since the year one.

Note: "The year dot" is more common in British and Australian English, while "the year one" is more common in American English.

Quick Quiz:

People have been living in the Nile valley since the year dot. They've been there

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