Early Civilizations

Explores the rise of early civilizations from a global perspective. The history of the ancient cultures of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and the like are examined in part to learn what gives each a distinctive character, but also to understand the ways in which humans created the earliest complex societies. Focus is on the growth of urban centers, early state and empire building, the development of social and economic hierarchies (priests, warriors, and slaves), the beginnings of literacy, and the articulation of new religious systems, some of which still have influence today.