History for Kids: Ancient Mesopotamia Ancient Mesopotamia refers to the place where humans first formed civilizations. It was here that people first gathered in large cities, learned to write, and created governments. For this reason Mesopotamia is often called the "Cradle of Civilization". Map of Mesopotamia by Atanas Kostovski Geography The word Mesopotamia means "the land between rivers". The heart of Mesopotamia lies between the two rivers in southern Iraq. Civilizations and Empires Early settlers in Mesopotamia started to gather in small villages and towns. Sumer - The Sumerians were the first humans to form a civilization. Akkadians - The Akkadians came next. Babylonians - The city of Babylon became the most powerful city in Mesopotamia. Assyrians - The Assyrians came out of the northern part of Mesopotamia. Persians - The Persians put an end to the rule of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Interesting Facts About Mesopotamia Learn More about Ancient Mesopotamia: Works Cited Back to History
10 People Who Were Erased From History History Throughout time, man has attempted to keep an accurate historical record of the events that came before them. Originating in oral history, passed down through generations, and eventually recorded as written texts, these stories have been cherished for centuries as the only connection to a world that would be otherwise forgotten. As is often the case, at times it became inconvenient for certain truths to be widely known, let alone published as an eternal record. 10Geta Severan The term Damnatio Memoriae was coined by the Romans as literally the damning of a memory. Geta attempted to divide his father’s kingdom with his bitter rival and brother, Caracalla. 9Nikolai Yezhov Being the enemy of Joseph Stalin was dangerous business. Overnight, Yezhov went from one of the highest officers in a powerful new world order to a shadow in a poorly lit photo and a name no one dared to utter. 8The Erased Of Slovenia 7Jang Song Thaek 6Queen Hatshepsut 5Maximian 4Elizabeth O’Farrell The problem? Close
Medieval Names Archive This collection of articles on medieval and Renaissance names is intended to help historical re-creators to choose authentic names. These articles were gathered from various places, and some of them appear elsewhere. In all cases, the copyright on each article belongs to its authors. For frequent users, we offer a compact index; but please read the following introduction at least once. What's New Choosing a Medieval Name Choosing a medieval name is easy: Open any book on any aspect of medieval history, and there will be some names. To be honest, it isn't that easy. at least not if you truly want an authentic name. Good and Bad Sources It's also easy to get led astray by bad sources. Many people in the Society have written articles to help you choose an authentic name. The Problem Names Project Some names that many people think of as common to the Middle Ages or Renaissance are either purely modern or otherwise problematic. You can help! Table of Contents Personal Names in Specific Cultures
Ancient Civilizations – Lost History? This has nothing to do with Ancient Aliens please don’t bring that in here. I’ve always been interested in alternative information and theories and recently stumbled on the idea of civilization being much older than conventional wisdom says it is. Do any of you believe the history of our civilization is much older than conventional wisdom says it is? I’m fascinated by what history we may have lost due to global catastrophes, climate change, and simply the erosion of time. With the loss of the library of Alexandria we probably lost most of our ancient recorded history but now that leaves me extremely intrigued by our past and how far back civilization and seafaring goes. I believe most scholars have civilizations such as Mesopotamia and Egypt dated back to around 3000 BC. Now we have huge temple structures turning up like this one in Turkey dated around 12,000 years ago: There is also at least some dispute as to the actual age of the sphinx due to erosion patterns.
Greece - Quest for the Gods Greece - Quest for the Gods -Â In this documentary, Richard Bangs embarks on a great odyssey in Greece, land of the Gods. From the amber of ancient times to the present, the Western world has basked in the glorious inspiration of the Greek myths. These strangely magnificent stories are deeply embedded in our culture and even our collective unconscious. On this trip we seek to discover the relevance and meaning the great gods of Olympus might have for us today. According to Agapi, "The Gods of the Pantheon are still alive. We begin in Athens, side-trip to Poseidon's Temple at Cape Sounion and then head to Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games. Water Cures in Ancient China Water Cures in Ancient China Water is the source of every thing on earth, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) uses it as an important ingredient for healing. The well-known pharmacopoeia, the Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), has classified water into different types, as the ancient Chinese held that water could exert diverse effects according to its source, for example: The tradition of water cures occurs in many cultures. As washing and cleaning became a routine sanitary procedure, bathing turned into a kind of rejuvenating activity and various types evolved, including immersion in hot springs, saunas, douches, and baths. It is well accepted that bathing can be a remedy for healing or health maintenance. In Chinese culture, baths are not just for sanitary reasons but also an integral part of rituals.
Ancient American's On-Line Theme Unit Page 1 Ancient New World Civilizations: The Big Picture Activity: Native cultures have existed in the Americas for thousands of years. Introduce some of the major ancient cultures to your students by creating a time line and a map of the early civilizations of North, Central, and South America. Background: Talk with your students about the long history of Native American cultures. People lived on this continent long before the early European settlers established colonies on American soil — even long before Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. Anthropologists believe people were living in the Americas as long as 20,000 years ago. The first known civilization was the Olmec.
Famous Greek People: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle | PeopleFinders.com Ancient Greek philosophy addressed an array of subjects, such as political philosophy or the study of liberty, justice, property, law, rights and law enforcement, metaphysics, ontology, rhetoric, aesthetics, ethics, logic and biology. Greek philosophy has roots stemming from the 6th century BCE and continuing its sphere of influence well into the reign of the Roman Empire. Some argue that ancient Greek philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, had contact with the older roots of oriental cosmology and theology, which is often referred to as pre-Socratic philosophical school of thought. Socrates Socrates, an Athens born-citizen from the 5th century BCE, introduced an influential philosophical school of thought that would send a ripple effect all throughout the Classical, Hellenistic and Greco-Roman periods. Plato Plato, an Athenian born-citizen, has roots in the post-Socratic and second generational school of thought in ancient Greece. Aristotle
Marco Polo - Exploration Two years later, Niccolò and Maffeo sailed to Acre in present-day Israel, this time with Marco at their side. At the request of Kublai Khan, they secured some holy oil from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and then backtracked to Acre to pick up gifts, papal documents and two friars from newly elected Pope Gregory X. The friars quickly abandoned the expedition, but the Polos continued on, possibly by camel, to the Persian port city of Hormuz. Failing to find any boats to their liking, they instead took take a series of overland traders’ routes that, in the 19th century, would become known as the Silk Road. Over the next three years they slowly trekked through deserts, high mountain passes and other rough terrain, meeting people of various religions and cultures along the way. Kublai, who generally relied on foreigners to administer his empire, took Marco Polo into his court, possibly as a tax collector.
Ancient History 4.5 billion B.C. Planet Earth formed. 3 billion B.C. First signs of primeval life (bacteria and blue-green algae) appear in oceans. 600 million B.C. Earliest date to which fossils can be traced. 4.4 million B.C. Earliest known hominid fossils (Ardipithecus ramidus) found in Aramis, Ethiopia, 1994. 4.2 million B.C. Australopithecus anamensis found in Lake Turkana, Kenya, 1995. 3.2 million B.C. Australopithecus afarenis (nicknamed “Lucy”) found in Ethiopia, 1974. 2.5 million B.C. Homo habilis (“Skillful Man”). 1.8 million B.C. Homo erectus (“Upright Man”). 1.7 million B.C. Homo erectus leaves Africa. First modern Homo sapiens in South Africa. Neanderthal man (use of fire and advanced tools). Neanderthal man replaced by later groups of Homo sapiens (i.e., Cro-Magnon man, etc.). Cro-Magnons replaced by later cultures. Migrations across Bering Straits into the Americas. Semi-permanent agricultural settlements in Old World. Pharaonic rule begins in Egypt. Solomon succeeds King David, builds Jerusalem temple.
Old Europe (archaeology) Old Europe is a term coined by archaeologist Marija Gimbutas to describe what she perceives as a relatively homogeneous pre-Indo-European Neolithic culture in southeastern Europe located in the Danube River valley.[1][2][3] (See also the Danube Valley civilization[4] Megalithic Temples of Malta and Prehistoric Balkans.) In her major work, The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: 6500–3500 B.C. (1982), she refers to these Neolithic cultures as Old Europe (Neolithic Europe and Pre-Indo-European as synonymous). Archaeologists and ethnographers working within her framework believe that the evidence points to later migrations and invasions of the peoples who spoke Indo-European languages at the beginning of the Bronze age (the Kurgan hypothesis). Marija Gimbutas investigated the Neolithic period in order to understand cultural developments in settled village culture in the southern Balkans, which she characterized as peaceful, matrilineal, and possessing a goddess-centered religion.
Religion and gods in ancient Egypt Religion governed life at all levels of Egyptian society. Ancient Egyptian coffin painted with winged serpent Photographer: © Australian Museum From natural forces like the rise and fall of the Nile and the passage of the sun, to death, healing, childbirth and prosperity – all were inseparable from gods and magic. Religion Throughout Egypt's history beliefs and practices were constantly changing though the themes of fertility, rebirth, death and resurrection generally remained constant. Gods We know of hundreds of gods and goddesses worshipped by the ancient Egyptians as their names, personalities and appearances have survived in the artwork the civilisation left behind. Local areas had local gods, with each city or region often having their own deities that they worshipped. Anubis was the jackal-headed god of embalming and mummification and the patron god of embalmers. Neith was the mother of the sun god Re and a goddess of hunting and warfare.