Ancient cultures By Joha1111111 Period: 4500 BCE to 539 BCE Mesopotamia First urban civilizations, cuneiform writing, Code of Hammurabi, ziggurats. Period: 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE Indus Valley Civilization Planned cities, drainage systems, trade, and undeciphered Indus script. Period: 3100 BCE to 30 BCE Ancient Egypt Pharaohs, pyramids, hieroglyphs, centralized monarchy and long dynastic history.