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Ancient World

Map of Gupta empire and ancient India 500 CE

The Gupta Empire of Ancient India

Background Centuries prior to the advent of the Gupta empire, the Maurya empire had arisen in 3rd century BCE. This was a huge state, covering the majority of the Indian subcontinent. For several centuries after it had vanished no empire arose in India to take its place. Indeed, whilst the Maurya empire fragmented into several […]

World History

1. The Origins of Civilization Up until about 12,000 years ago, all humans were hunter-gatherers: that is, they lived by hunting wild game, fishing, and gathering fruits and berries. They lived in small bands, following a mobile lifestyle as they followed animal herds and moved to where more plants could be found. They owned only […]

The Roman Empire

The Rise of the Roman Empire Origins of Rome The roots of the Roman Empire go back to the origins of the city of Rome. The traditional date for this was 753 BCE, and archaeological evidence indeed points to an origin around the Eighth century. The city was located in central Italy. Early Rome grew […]

History of China

Introduction Longevity In terms of longevity, the only rival it has is India’s, the other civilization that dates back to ancient times which is still flourishing today. And indeed, the Indus civilization pre-dated the rise of literate, urban civilization in China by about a thousand years. However, it later vanished, and cultures in the Indian […]

The Kingdom of Kush

Introduction Egypt’s geographical position, lying in the northern portion of the long valley of the River Nile, meant that it was cut off from the rest of Africa by almost impassable desert to east and west, and by only somewhat less-impassable cataracts to the south. It therefore fell to Kush to mediate the arts of […]

The Civilization of Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome exercises a powerful grip on the imagination of modern man. It was a sophisticated and powerful civilization, which has had a profound influence on all later Western societies.

The History of the Deccan Empires of Ancient and Medieval India

Historical overview The Satavahana Satavahana was the first large kingdom of central India. It probably came to power at the end of the third or beginning of the second century BCE (it’s not known exactly when), as one of the major successor states to the great Mauryan empire. It was based in the great plateau of […]

The Gandhara Culture of Ancient India

The Gandhara culture of northern India was a fascinating episode in world history. Here was a location in space and time where two civilizations met: Ancient Greek and Ancient Indian. The result was a rich fusion of elements, which went on the have an impact right across Asia. Contents Introduction Historical overview Government and Administration […]

Pre-Columbian Civilizations of America

The Two Heartlands of Pre-Columbian civilization Two regions in particular of America developed great Pre-Columbian civilizations. Central America produced several major Pre-Columbian civilizations, including the Olmec (fl. c. 1500-500 BCE), the Maya (c. 100-1000 CE) and the Aztec. In South America, the Pacific coast and Andes highlands of Peru, and later Ecuador, Columbia and western […]

The Late Babylonian Empire

Overview Babylonia was the name by which southern Mesopotamia had become known after the time of Hammurabi, the great king who had reigned in the eighteenth century BCE. It was he who had made ancient Babylon one of the greatest cities of Antiquity. The late Babylonian period, the subject of this article, falls in the […]

The Mauryan Empire of Ancient India

The Mauryan empire of Ancient India was the first great empire in India’s long history, and one of the great empires of the Ancient World 

The Hellenistic World

<< back to History Atlas: Ancient Middle East

Hellenistic Period Overview

The Hellenistic period began in 323 BCE, when Alexander the Great died. His vast conquests became divided between his leading generals, who founded royal dynasties over the seperate kingdoms. In them, Greek civilization spread right across the Middle East, and became mixed with local cultures to produce a hybrid civilization. The period lasted until 31 BCE, when the last Hellenistic kingdom – the Egypt of Queen Cleopatra – fell to Rome.

The Phoenicians

The Phoenicians were a Canaanite people who lived in city-states on the Mediterranean coast, famous as seafarers and traders.

The Qin Dynasty of Ancient China

The Qin dynasty of Ancient China was the first dynasty in Chinese history to bring unity to the vast country, but its harsh rule brought about an early downfall.

The Roman Empire: Government and Society

Timeline 31 BCE – the Battle of Actium leaves Octavian as the master of the Roman world 27 BCE – Augustus establishes himself as the first of the Roman emperors 6 CE – a Roman army is destroyed at the Battle of the Teutenborg Forest 14 – Tiberius succeeds Augustus as emperor, the first transmission […]

Ancient Persian Civilization

Early Iran The heartland of ancient Persian civilization – as is true for its Islamic successor – is the modern country of Iran. In ancient times, Iran bordered the land of Mesopotamia (in modern Iraq), and was deeply influenced by Ancient Mesopotamian civilization. This was the first urban and literate culture in world history, and […]

The Etruscans

History Time Map of the Etruscans   Overview Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy. Its homeland was in the area of central Italy, just north of Rome, which is today called Tuscany. In ancient times there was a strong tradition that the Etruscans had emigrated from Lydia, […]

Map of Ancient China at the time of the Han dynasty

The Han Dynasty of Ancient China

The Han dynasty, one of the most important dynasties in all Chinese history, ruled Ancient China with only a brief break from 202 BCE to 221 CE, a period of more than 400 years.

The Hittites

The Hittite were a people in Asia Minor who formed one of the great empires of the ancient Middle East. It lasted from the eighteenth century BCE through to the start of the twelfth century BCE, and in its heyday challenged both Babylon and Egypt for leadership in the region.