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3000 BCE
Cuneiform
Cuneiform, invented some time around 3000 BCE, was the first system of writing. First developed to track tax records, it eventually was used to create forms of literature. Literature and culture go hand in hand. Written in Cuneiform are works from the first known author in history, Enheduanna, and The Epic of Gilgamesh, the earliest surviving work of literature. There is no telling how much the impact of this epic had on culture and future authors. The name of this Epic remains well known today. -
1300 BCE
Phoenician Alphabet
Phoenicians developed the first syllabic alphabet that went on to become the basis of Roman and Greek writing. A syllabic alphabet made it possible for common people to learn to read and write easier than a symbolic alphabet would. Today, most European languages, including English, are descendants of the Phoenician alphabet. The word 'phonetic' means the correspondence of symbols and sounds, and is directly related to 'Phoenician', showing its impact on culture lasted all the way to the present. -
Period: 800 BCE to 490 BCE
The Archaic Age
In this age, Greek interactions with foreign cultures re-emerged, trade routes established, the Greek syllabic alphabet (based off Phoenicians and influenced Romans) created, literature, drama, and poetry were recorded, the Iliad and Odyssey were written down and remain very well-known works, arete ("excellence") was a celebrated Greek virtue, polis was created, aristocrats, and civic virtue became an important value. A lot that came out of this age remains known and important in modern culture. -
130 BCE
The Silk Road
The Silk Road trade routes connected Europe and Asia, allowing for the first ever diplomatic contact with China in the West. It was a great opportunity for cultural trade, bringing things like valuable silk and spices to the West. The cultural and economic impacts of the Silk Road were huge for Western Civilizations. -
Period: 1 CE to 200
Pax Romana
A time of Roman peace at the empire's height that allowed for a massive amount of cultural development. There was a lot of urbanization, trade, cultural exchange and fusion, and political developments. Infrastructure, like public baths, theatres, and aqueduct, were being built and more widespread. This time of cultural development was a foundation for cultural development in the future, not to mention, the cultural impact and influence the Roman Empire's legacy had on future civilizations. -
Period: 1095 to 1492
The Crusades
A set of invasion of the Middle East by Europeans. Culture was exchanged between the West and East and new goods and technology was encountered. The Crusades transitioned Europe from being barter-based to being a dynamic commercial economic system. The Crusades resulted in a flourishing Italy, inspired future generations of explorers and conquerors, and sparked violence in the name of religious purity, particularly anti-Semitism. The crusades weren't limited to Europe but were also in the North. -
Period: 1300 to 1500
The Renaissance
This was a time of cultural rebirth that spread throughout Europe and famous names from the time, like Da Vinci and Michelangelo, are still famous today. Humanism, art, philosophy, morality, and science, were all a big focus of the Renaissance. This time period has impacted culture for years to come, creating a spirit of inquiry in people. A specific invention, the movable-type printing press, was increasingly used in the Renaissance which greatly impacted culture and the spread of information. -
Period: 1348 to 1351
The Black Death
The Plague was the deadliest epidemic in medieval/early-modern history. There was a large demographic impact on countless regions with how many died. There was social disruption, labor shortages, quarantines, it impacted religious beliefs, created a culture of death (Dance of Death) and morality themed art and literature, and it led to experimentation with and the development of medicine practices. The labor shortages resulted in laborers being more valued and the feudal system started declining -
Period: 1400 to
Age of Exploration
This time created a shift in culture for both the past and the present. The New World was 'discovered' by Columbus, contact was made between new cultures, and resources, plants, animals, people (slaves), diseases, and economics were exchanged and influenced Europe and the Americas. Seeking wealth through exploration also led to a lot of cultural exchange with Africa and India. During this time was the Great Dying and Columbian Exchange, which was the basis of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. -
Period: 1517 to
The Reformations
Breaking from the Church in the Protestant Reformation resulted in the formation of new denominations in Christianity, like Lutheranism and Calvinism, the Bible translated into more languages, and greater efforts towards education. Protestantism wanted personal relationships with God and for a person to decipher the Bible for themselves, rendering the Church unnecessary. Christianity was forever influenced by this. The Counter-Reformation resulted in the English Church also separating.