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4000 BCE
Early Beginnings
When civilizations were beginning to make traction and technological advances were made to evolve with changes made agriculturally. Society was evolving in terms of leadership, class, and culture during this time. -
Period: 3500 BCE to 3000 BCE
Mesopotamian Civilizations
Regarded as the earliest, Mesopotamia was the first to form a civilization around this time. More specifically, the civilization they created was called Sumer in the southern part of Mesopotamia. -
Period: 3500 BCE to 3000 BCE
Egyptian Civilizations
Civilizations in Egypt were made around the same time as Mesopotamian Civilizations were made. Being rather close, they often participated in trade. This civilization was prominently known for its rulers, pharaohs, and marvelous pyramids. -
Period: 2663 BCE to 2195 BCE
The Old Kingdom (Egypt)
The Old Kingdom was an age in Egypt where pharaohs were at their peak of respect and praise. They, along with their nobles, were destined to have access to the afterlife as reflected through the pyramids built in their worship. The belief in the afterlife isn't a new belief at this age, but one could argue Egyptians were the strongest to believe this. -
Period: 2400 BCE to 1700 BCE
Sumerian Ecological Failure
Sumer, a city-state in Mesopotamia, was suffering from several ecological problems that interfered with their agriculture. This included deforestation, soil erosion, and salinization of soil. This made Sumer very weak as well as prone to intruders. -
2350 BCE
Sumer's Fall
Multiple foreign groups invaded Sumer, ending Sumerian civilization, and even settled in several areas that took up all or most of Mesopotamia. The Akkadians overran first, then the Babylonians and the Assyrians came much later. -
2200 BCE
Chinese Civilizations
Among the early civilizations, Chinese people also started their own civilizations that meshed well with their own culture. When it came to government and leadership, it went by dynasties which were like ages of a ruler. -
1200 BCE
Olmec Civilization
The "final" of the first civilizations that spawned near Mexico. This civilization was made due to competition between chiefdoms but grew to become multiple ceremonial centers in one. The culture that was created here was an influence for Mayan culture.