The Native Americans

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 The Native Americans

The Olmecs

By Tim Lambert The Olmec Civilization The Olmecs were the first Central American civilization. They flourished in the southern Gulf Coast of Mexico between 1300 BC and 400 BC. The Olmecs influenced all the other civilizations that came later. So much so that they are sometimes called the mother culture. The Olmecs built the first… Continue reading The Olmecs

The Persian Empire

By Tim Lambert The Persian Empire was created by Cyrus II, known as Cyrus the Great (559-529 BC). Cyrus first defeated another Iranian people called the Medes, then in 547 he defeated the kingdom of Lydia (in what is now Turkey) at the battle of Pterya and he became the ruler of most of Asia… Continue reading The Persian Empire

The Philistines

By Tim Lambert The Philistines lived in the Southwest of the country we now call Israel. It is believed the Philistines originally came from the Agean or possibly from Crete. They invaded the coast of what is now Israel about 1200 BC. The Philistine realm was called Philistia and it included 5 cities Gaza, Ashkelon,… Continue reading The Philistines

The Phoenicians

By Tim Lambert The Phoenicians were people who lived in what is now Lebanon. They were a great trading people and they were at their peak between about 1200 BC and 800 BC. The Phoenicians lived on a strip of fertile land between the sea and the Lebanon mountains. With the mountains as a natural… Continue reading The Phoenicians

The Sumerians

By Tim Lambert Sumerian Society Sumer was the world’s first civilization. It arose about 3,500 BC in what is now Iraq in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates. A number of city-states grew up, each one ruling an area of the surrounding countryside. About 3,300 BC the Sumerians invented writing on clay tablets.… Continue reading The Sumerians