Other Definitions
ancient history (dict)

Ancient History

Ancient history is from the period of time when writing and historical records first appear, roughly 5,500 years before the Common Era. For some, the discovery of agriculture, roughly 6,000 BCE is the beginning of ancient history. The most common date for an end of ancient history in Europe is 476 CE (the fall of the Western Roman Empire), however the exact date is still disputed among various historians. In Europe ancient history was followed by Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000-5,500 years, with cuneiform possibly being the oldest form of writing. Genetic evidence, however, points to the first appearance of human beings about 150,000 years ago. There is also a growing body of evidence that Homo sapiens first left Africa about 60,000 years ago.

Chronology

Beginning of ancient history

  • 10,000 BCE - invention of agriculture is the earliest given date for the beginning of Ancient Era
  • 3,300 - oldest historical documents
  • 5,000
  • 4,000

Important events

BC
AD

End of ancient history in Europe

The exact date era of ancient history ends is still disputed among historians. Most common dates are:

Civilizations

The most prominent civilisations of the Ancient Era:

See also

   

 

<< PreviousWord BrowserNext >>
prince bishop
louis xvi of france
guillotine
rabbi
kenneth horne
marty feldman
rope (movie)
albuquerque, new mexico
maluku islands
spice islands
translation memory
henry i of poland
mohamed farrah aidid
aaron copland
jammu and kashmir
pope pontian
cowpox
white rose
battle of lake benacus
mikls horthy
citron
kinship and descent
history of antarctica
history of economic thought
history of theater
intellectual history
famine
babington plot
dimensionless number
power number
milo forman
antigua
amartya sen
barbuda
560s bc
570s bc
590s bc
600s bc
610s bc
coconut
620s bc
630s bc
640s bc
650s bc