Some people think civilization is an advanced stage in the progression of human cultural evolution. But, when historians or anthropologists use the term civilization, they mean a …

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Who were the Olmec? The Olmec were the first major civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical lowlands on the Gulf of Mexico in the present-day Mexican states of Veracruz and …

Some have argued that it is the oldest known civilization in the Americas, but others have claimed that there is too little evidence of the political, economic, and religious structures to definitively …

Written records gave historians a great deal of insight into the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, but very few written materials have been discovered in the Indus valley.

Often referred to as the "cradle of civilization", we have some of our first major civilizations emerge along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as early as 6000 years ago.

What kinds of political orders do you think were most common in early complex societies and why? What effects do you think cities had on the environment? What do we mean when we …

In this course, you'll learn world history from the earliest civilizations to the modern world. In this story, geography, religion, trade, and politics have bound peoples and nations together — and …

Explore the origins and early civilizations with Khan Academy's comprehensive resources on humanities.

The very earliest period in traditional Chinese history is called the Mythical Period, when—according to legend—the Xia dynasty ruled China. The Shang dynasty, the first …