Category: Histories of countries and key towns and cities around the world

By Tim Lambert Viking Iceland The first people to settle in Iceland were probably Irish monks who came in the 8th century. However, in the 9th century, they were driven out by the Vikings. According to tradition, the first Viking to discover Iceland was a man named Naddoddur who got lost while on his way… Continue reading A Short History of Iceland

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 Ancient Ireland The first humans arrived in Ireland between 7,000 and 6,000 BC after the end of the last ice age. The first Irish people lived by farming, fishing, and gathering food such as plants and shellfish. The Stone Age hunters tended to live on the seashore or on the banks of… Continue reading A Short History of Ireland

By Tim Lambert The Etruscans The first civilization in Italy was the Etruscan, which arose about 800 BC in central Italy. The Etruscans built cities on a grid pattern. Some of these cities still exist (including Arezzo, Chiusi, Cortona, Perugia, and Cerveteri). The Etruscans were also engineers who drained marshes and built roads. They were… Continue reading A Short History of Italy

By Tim Lambert Early Jamaica From about 800 AD a people called the Arawaks lived in Jamaica. They were stone age farmers although they also hunted and fished. The Arawaks grew beans, cassava, and maize. They also grew cotton. However, in 1494, Christopher Columbus landed in Jamaica. The Spanish and Arawaks briefly fought each other… Continue reading A Short History of Jamaica

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 Early Kenya The earliest inhabitants of Kenya were hunter-gatherers but from about 2,000 BC herders came to the region. Then from about 800 AD Arabs sailed to Kenya. Some settled and intermarried and they created the Swahili culture along the coast. The first European to reach Kenya was Vasco da Gama in… Continue reading A Short History of Kenya

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