Ancient history is the aggregate of past events from the beginning of writing and recorded human history and extending as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the See more

Southwest Asia (Near East)
The ancient Near East is considered the cradle of civilisation. It was the first to practice intensive year-round agriculture; created one of the first coherent writing systems, invented the potter's wheel and then the vehicular See more

• Alcock, Susan E.; Terence N., D'Altroy; Terence N., Morrison; et al., eds. (201). Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History. … See more

History is the study of the past using sources such as archaeology and written records. Historians divide source texts into two general types – primary sources and secondary sources. … See more

Prehistory is the period before written history. Most of our knowledge of that period comes from the work of archaeologists. … See more

Religion and philosophy
The rise of civilisation corresponded with the institutional sponsorship of belief in gods, supernatural forces and the afterlife. During the Bronze Age, many civilisations adopted their own form of polytheism. Usually, polytheistic … See more