Local Histories

By Tim Lambert Ancient Cambodia Cambodia has a rich and fascinating history. The first humans in Cambodia were Stone Age hunters and gatherers. However, farming was introduced into Cambodia in about 2,300 BC. The first farmers in Cambodia used stone tools but from about 1,500 BC the Cambodians used tools and weapons made from bronze.… Continue reading A Short History of Cambodia

By Tim Lambert Ancient China The Beginning After 10,000 BC people in China lived by hunting and gathering plants. Then, about 5,000 BC, the Chinese began farming. From about 5,000 BC rice was cultivated in southern China and millet was grown in the north. By 5,000 BC dogs and pigs were domesticated. By 3,000 BC… Continue reading A Short History of China

By Tim Lambert Ancient India The Indus Valley Civilisation The first Indian civilization arose in the Indus Valley about 2,600 BC. It straddled northwest India and Pakistan. By 6,500 BC the people of the area had begun farming. By 5,500 BC they had invented pottery. By about 2,600 BC a prosperous farming society had grown… Continue reading A Short History of India

By Tim Lambert Ancient Indonesia The first people in Indonesia arrived about 40,000 years ago when the sea level was lower and it was joined to Asia by a land bridge. Then at the end of the last ice age about 10,000 BC, a new wave of people came. At first, they hunted animals, collected… Continue reading A Short History of Indonesia

By Tim Lambert The First Japanese Human beings have lived in Japan for at least 30,000 years. During the last ice age, Japan was connected to mainland Asia by a land bridge and Stone Age hunters were able to walk across. When the ice age ended about 10,000 BC Japan became a group of islands.… Continue reading A Short History of Japan

By Tim Lambert Early Jordan Before 8,000 BC Stone Age hunters lived in what is now Jordan. However, by about 8,000 BC people in the region began farming although they still used stone tools. People began to live in villages. By about 5,000 BC people in Jordan were making pottery. By 4,000 BC they smelted… Continue reading A Short History of Jordan

By Tim Lambert Ancient Korea By 4000 BC stone age farmers were living in Korea. By 1000 BC they had learned to use bronze. By about 300 BC they had learned to use iron to make tools and weapons. At first, Korea was divided into tribes but eventually organized kingdoms emerged. There were 3 of… Continue reading A Short History of Korea

By Tim Lambert Ancient Laos The earliest inhabitants of Laos were hunter-gatherers. Later they were farmers growing rice and pulses. The first farmers used stone tools but from about 2,000 BC bronze was used in Laos and from about 500 BC iron. However, unlike Vietnam, the people of Laos were influenced by Indian rather than… Continue reading A Short History of Laos

By Tim Lambert Ancient Malaysia The first people to live in Malaysia were Stone Age hunter-gatherers. They arrived as early as 8,000 BC. Later Stone Age farmers came to Malaya and displaced them. (The hunter-gatherers continued to exist but they retreated into remote areas). The farmers practiced slash-and-burn agriculture. They cleared an area of the… Continue reading A Short History of Malaysia

By Tim Lambert Early Mongolia In 209 BC a great leader called Modun united the people of Mongolia. This early state was called Hunnu. The Hunnu was a powerful empire and they were often at war with China. However, the Hunnu state broke up in the 4th century AD. From the 6th century to the… Continue reading A Short History of Mongolia