Maybe luck, but no volcano for me...
Just 8 mammoths near my capital and my 2nd city as events...
Yes, AI never hunt, but that is not really new.
Crusader and Spartacus are stille OP (and Spartacus can be put in a boat able to transport only civilians... Get him with a great commander and enjoy your fast attack over ocean...)
The really strange part was, at ~1000 BC, I was in Industrial era, another AI (Gigamesh) too... And all the others was still minor or at ancient era!
OK, I hunt really fast, i was able to have a tribe at turn 18 (in a village), but it was fast for industrial era... And same for the other AI...
Sounds like you played at too low a difficulty level. Tribes from huts are only possible on the lowest 2 or 3 settings, and at those levels you actually tech as fast or faster than the AI.