Category: Ancient Civilizations

By Tim Lambert The Mayan Realm The Mayans created a great civilization in parts of what is now Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. The ancestors of the Mayans were hunters but about 2,000 BC they adopted farming as a way of life. In the years from 300 BC to 250 AD organized Mayan kingdoms emerged. Then from 250… Continue reading A History of the Mayans

By Tim Lambert  The Minoan civilization existed in Crete. It was the first European civilization. About 2,500 BC a sophisticated society grew up on the island of Crete. By about 1,950 BC the inhabitants had invented a form of writing using hieroglyphs. This writing is called linear A. The Minoans were a bronze-age civilization. (They… Continue reading A History of The Minoans

By Tim Lambert The First Native Americans North America is, of course, a diverse continent with many different climates and ecological zones. So Native American lifestyles and cultures were different to suit local conditions. Cultures also varied over time. Native American history is divided into 3 great eras. The first, before 1,000 BC is known… Continue reading A History of The Native Americans

By Tim Lambert The Scythians were nomadic people. Their culture flourished in Central Asia between about 900 BC and 200 BC. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote about them but recently archaeologists have discovered more about them. The Scythians were formidable warriors. They rode horses and could shoot arrows from horseback. The Scythians also fought with… Continue reading A History of The Scythians

By Tim Lambert The ancestors of the Vikings traded with the Romans. They exported furs, skins, walrus ivory, and amber. After the fall of Rome, the Scandinavian peoples slowly grew more united. The first towns were formed. Meanwhile, they started using sails. Before the mid-7th century, Scandinavian ships were rowed but once they began using… Continue reading A History of the Vikings

By Tim Lambert The Indus Valley Civilisation The first Indian civilization arose in the Indus valley about 2,600 BC. It actually 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 up.… Continue reading A Short History of Ancient India

By Tim Lambert From about 900 BC seafaring people called the Phoenicians who came from what is now Lebanon traded with what is now Spain. They founded a chain of trading settlements along the coast on islands and peninsulas. The Iberians gave the Phoenicians silver in return for wine and olive oil as well as… Continue reading A Short History of Ancient Spain

By Tim Lambert Buildings in Catal Huyuk Catal Huyuk was one of the world’s first towns. It was built in what is now Turkey about 6,500 BC not long after farming began. Catal Huyuk probably had a population of about 6,000. In Catal Huyuk, the houses were made of mud brick. Houses were built touching… Continue reading Catal Huyuk

Children in Ancient Egypt Most children in Ancient Egypt did not go to school. Instead, boys learned farming or other trades from their fathers. Girls learned sewing, cooking, and other skills from their mothers. Some girls were also taught to read and write. Boys from wealthy families sometimes learned to be scribes. They learned by… Continue reading Children in the Ancient World

By Tim Lambert Food In Ancient Egypt For most people in ancient Egypt, food was plain and dull. The staple food of the Egyptians was bread and beer. The bread was baked outside and because of the desert sand was often blown into the dough. In time eating bread with grains of sand in it… Continue reading Food in the Ancient World