If te remember, this season we saw Jacob and the man in black's childhood. during that episode, te see that there was a shipwreck of people a looooooong time fa and they made a society on the island. I believe they were the first.
Well...Jacob's and Black's stepmother detto that she was from her mother, so that means that there were people before her. (not clear if they all (those before her) were protecting the light from other people o not, but it doesn't even matters much).
We do know the Egyptians had been to the island with all the statues and hieroglyphic engravings everywhere. This may well be where 'Mother' comes from for all we know.
Also there is cuneiform language seen on the cork stone in the Source. This is also a language più ancient than the Romans.
It's likely that humans have populated the island for as long as they've had ships capable of travelling long distances. (ie a few thousand years). Before that? Who knows!
