History

World History to 1500

The Great Pyramid of Cheops (Library of Congress)

1. Early Civilizations and Pastoral Peoples (4000–1000 BCE)

The earliest civilizations emerged as agricultural societies in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus valley, each with strong leaders, religious doctrines, and codes of law. At the same time pastoral peoples appeared from the steppes of Central Asia, contributing to change across the entire region from Europe and the Mediterranean basin to India.

Documents

• Ashvamedha Parva (5000-3000 BCE)
• Pyramid Texts (ca. 2494–2193 BCE)
• Reform Edict of Urukagina (2350 BCE)
• Enheduanna: Hymns to Inana (ca. 2250 BCE)
• “Instructions of Ptahhotep” (ca. 2200 BCE)
• “Hymn to the Nile” (ca. 1990–1950 BCE)
• Hymn of the Righteous Sufferer (ca. 1770–600 BCE)
• Code of Hammurabi (1752 BCE)
• Rig Veda (ca. 1700–1200 BCE)
• Hittite Laws (ca. 1650–1400 BCE)
• Egyptian Book of the Dead (ca. 1569–1315 BCE)
• Enuma Elish (ca. 1500 BCE)
• Divine Birth and Coronation Inscriptions of Hatshepsut (1473 BCE)
• Bible: Exodus (ca. 1446 BCE)
• Bible: Genesis (ca. 1400–400 BCE)
• “Great Hymn to the Aten” (ca. 1348 BCE)
• Epic of Gilgamesh (ca. 1300 BCE)
• Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty (1259 BCE)
• Middle Assyrian Laws (ca. 1115–1077 BCE)