Every Major Civilization
From Mesopotamia to the modern world — the societies that built human history.
Ancient
Mesopotamia
3500–539 BC
Iraq/Syria
Writing, law, the wheel
Ancient Egypt
3100–30 BC
Northeast Africa
Pyramids, hieroglyphs, astronomy
Indus Valley Civilisation
3300–1300 BC
South Asia
Urban planning, sanitation
Ancient China
2070 BC–present
East Asia
Paper, printing, gunpowder, silk
Ancient Greece
800–146 BC
Mediterranean
Democracy, philosophy, Olympics
Ancient Rome
753 BC–476 AD
Mediterranean/Europe
Law, roads, republic, Latin
Persian Empire
550–330 BC
Middle East to India
First human rights charter
Phoenicia
1550–300 BC
Lebanon/Mediterranean
Alphabet, global trade
Maya civilization
2000 BC–1697 AD
Mesoamerica
Calendar, astronomy, mathematics
Medieval
Inca Empire
1438–1533 AD
South America
Road network, terrace farming
Aztec Empire
1300–1521 AD
Mesoamerica
Tenochtitlan, chocolate, astronomy
Byzantine Empire
330–1453 AD
Eastern Mediterranean
Preserved Roman law and Greek culture
Islamic Caliphate
632–1258 AD
Middle East to Spain
Algebra, astronomy, medicine
Mongol Empire
1206–1368 AD
Asia to Europe
Pax Mongolica, trade routes
Viking civilization
793–1066 AD
Scandinavia/North Atlantic
Navigation, reached Americas first
Khmer Empire
802–1431 AD
Southeast Asia
Angkor Wat, hydraulic engineering
Mali Empire
1235–1600 AD
West Africa
Timbuktu, salt/gold trade