Historical Milestones of the Ancient World

History: Understanding Our Past

• Who: Everyone's past
• What: Records evidence of what people have done
• Where: Everywhere
• When: Ever since the beginning of time
• Why: To look at our past and learn about the people who came before us

Creation Stories: Origins of the World

• Who: Human societies
• What: Stories about how the world began
• Where: Everywhere
• When: Since the beginning of time
• Why: People trying to understand how the world came to be, according to their societies' points of view

Theory of Evolution: Darwin's Legacy

• Who: Charles Darwin
• What: A theory of how humans came to be
• Where: Origin of the human race
• When: Since the beginning of time
• Why: People seek to understand Earth's origins; this theory aligns with natural selection

Agricultural Revolution: Food Production

• Who: Humans
• What: The beginning of humanity's ability to grow or breed their food
• Where: Early human societies
• When: Neolithic Age
• Why: Humans developed the necessary skills to grow crops, breed livestock, sow, and harvest

Animism: Early Spiritual Beliefs

• Who: Early human societies
• What: A religious worldview
• Where: Where humans settled
• When: Neolithic Age
• Why: Humans believed that animals, plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena had spiritual significance

Cuneiform: World's First Writing System

• Who: Sumerians
• What: A format of written language
• Where: Mesopotamia
• When: Circa 3500 BCE
• Why: It was the first form of writing, characterized by wedge-shaped characters on clay tablets

Sargon the Great: Unifier of Mesopotamia

• Who: Sargon the Great
• What: Ruler
• Where: Middle East
• When: Circa 2300 BCE
• Why: He brought the Mesopotamian region under unified rule and helped the Akkadian Empire spread Sumerian culture throughout the Middle East

Mesopotamian Religion & Governance

• Who: Mesopotamian civilization
• What: Religion and its influence on governance
• Where: Mesopotamia
• When: Throughout Mesopotamian history, including after Hammurabi's law code
• Why: It influenced two primary forms of governance:
  • Theocracy: Rule by gods or priests
  • Kingdom: Rule by an emperor or monarch

The Code of Hammurabi: Ancient Justice

• Who: Hammurabi
• What: A collection of laws
• Where: Mesopotamian civilization
• When: Circa 1754 BCE
• Why: It was based on two key principles:
  • Punishment based on the social rank of the violator
  • Offenders subject to the same damages they caused to others

Slavery in the Ancient World

In ancient civilizations, slavery was accepted, unlike its perception today. There were fields that needed to be plowed and grain to be harvested, often by enslaved labor. Additionally, women were often not respected; their roles frequently included cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes.

Egyptian Pharaohs: Divine Rulers

• Who: Egyptians
• What: Ruler
• Where: Egypt
• When: Circa 3100 BCE
• Why: Believed to be the reincarnation of the god Horus

Akhenaten: The Monotheistic Pharaoh

• Who: Pharaoh Akhenaten
• What: Egyptian ruler
• Where: Egypt
• When: Circa 1300 BCE
• Why: He believed in monotheism, the worship of one god