Early Civilizations

First Settlements in Mesopotamia

8000 BCE

Settlements begin to rise up in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The fertile soil of the region allowed for the earliest agrarian societies to develop. Jericho, settled around 8000 BCE, is said to be the world's first town.

Earliest Societies in the Americas: The Norte Chico Civilization

3500 BCE

The first unified and permanent civilizations rise up in the Andean Region known as the Norte Chico Civilization. These agrarian settlements were spread out along coastal Peru and cultivated a large variety of crops like chile peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and most importantly, maize.

Rise of Indus River Valley Civilization

3300 BCE

Settlements along the Indus River begin to rise up. Irrigation systems and transportation provided by the Indus River allowed for agrarian society to rise and thrive.

Menes: The First Pharoah

3000 BCE

Menes is said to be the first pharaoh of Egypt starting the Dynastic Period of Egypt. Menes is known for uniting the Lower and Upper Egypt along the Nile.

Early Dynastic Period in Egypt

3000 BCE

Egyptian civilizations begin to rise up along the Nile around 3000. The first pharoahs of a unified Egypt come into power around this time.

Yu the Great

2200 BCE

The legendary first ruler of China. Founded the Xia Dynasty and rose to power after he and his clan implemented flood control along the Yellow River.

The First Chinese Dynasty: The Xia Dynasty

2000 BCE

Permanent settlements rise up along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers and form the first Chinese civilizations. The Xia clan rose to power after developing flood controlling methods along the Yellow River.

Olmec Civilization rise out of Mesoamerica Formative Period

1500 BCE

The Olmec civilization came out of the Mesoamerican region around 1500 BCE. The region provided easy transportation and irrigation via the Coatzacoalcos River basin.

Modern Western Civilization in Ancient Greece

800 BCE

Greek civilization begins to emerge from the period known as the dark ages. Greek society became more organized and adopted the Phoenician alphabet to form their own.