The Paleocene is a geological epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 million years ago and is the first epoch of the Paleogene period. It began after the K-Pg extinction, triggered by the Chicxulub asteroid impact and possibly volcanism, which wiped out about 75 percent of species, including the non-avian dinosaurs. Global average temperatures were around 24 to 25 degrees Celsius, far warmer than today, and the planet had no permanent polar ice sheets. Mammals diversified during this time, with the earliest placental and marsupial mammals appearing, while the forests were dense and populated mostly by small creatures. The epoch ended with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, a sharp warming event driven by the release of thousands of gigatons of carbon.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.