Ancient History Timeline

The Clovis Civilization is Formed

11,500 BCE

The Clovis civilization is prehistoric Native American civilization that was just forming about 13,500 years ago. These people are often thought of as the first people to settle in the new world. Many artifacts have been found from these people around Clovis, New Mexico. These people were hunters and gatherers and hunted mammoths.

Sumer is Founded

4000 BCE

The city of Sumer formed in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The citizens were polytheistic and built temples to their gods called ziggurats. They also developed the earliest known form of writing called cuneiform.

China Develops Silk

2640 BCE

Around this time in history China developed silk. They farmed silkworms and harvested silk from their cocoons. These silkworms only eat mulberry leaves so the Chinese had to farm these trees as well.

Mohenjo Daro Is Built

2600 BCE

Mohenjo Daro was a very important city in the Indus River valley. This city has very little evidence of war or weapons of any kind. The city was very well constructed and had a huge citadel.

The Sphinx is Built

2500 BCE

The Sphinx was built around this time in ancient Egypt. It was constructed with the body of a lion and a female head. It was once decorated with brightly colored paint but it has since worn off.

Sargon Establishes Akkad

2300 BCE

It was around 2300 BC when Sargon established the empire of Akkad. This is the first empire the world has ever known. A ruler named Hammurabi eventually took over for Sargon and established Hammurabi's code.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is Written

2100 BCE

The story of Gilgamesh is the earliest known written story. It was loosely based on an actual person who had lived about 600 years earlier. The story was written in a type of writing called cuneiform.

Egypt Reaches its "Golden Age"

2000 BCE

The period of time known as the Golden Age is actually Egypt's Middle Kingdom. During this period there was a lot of art, trading, and literature. The Egyptians did not build pyramids during this time but rather built hidden tombs. This was a great time for architecture.

Egypt enters the New Kingdom

1500 BCE

This was a time of expanding the Egyptian empire. The pharaohs were very powerful and were buried in The Valley of the Kings. Also during this time people made mummies out of people and animals like cats and crocodiles.

The Vedas are Written

1100 BCE

It is around this time in history when the Vedas were written by the Aryans. These were a collection of ancient stories and tradition. The Vedas were written in Sanskrit which was a form of writing developed by the Aryans.

Confucius Is Born

551 BCE

Confucius is a very influential figure in Chinese history and world history. He founded the idealism called Confucianism that focuses on knowing your role in society and having educated leaders. Confucianism was more focused on the world and the government than the spiritual world.

The Qin Dynasty is Formed

221 BCE

This dynasty started in 221 BC and only lasted fifteen years. The rulers of the time ruled by force and implemented a form of rule called legalism. Legalism stated that all men were greedy and evil and needed to be punished to become good.