When did the Holocene Epoch begin?

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Quaternary paleogeography — Quaternary Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the Quaternary Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.

The Holocene Epoch began approximately 11,700 years ago.12

This date marks the lower boundary of the epoch and coincides with the start of the Greenlandian stage, which was formally established by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the International Commission on Stratigraphy using data from Greenland ice cores. While various historical proposals for the boundary existed—ranging from 6,000 to 12,000 years ago based on different regional climatic or sedimentary indicators—the 11,700-year mark is the currently accepted standard for the beginning of this geologic time interval.2