Ancient Civilizations

Study Notes

Mesopotamia:
- Located in modern-day Iraq
- Developed writing (cuneiform), wheel, and irrigation systems
- Empires: Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian
Ancient Egypt:
- Located in northeastern Africa
- Developed hieroglyphics, pyramids, and mummification
- Pharaonic period (3100 BCE - 30 BCE)
Ancient Greece:
- Located in southeastern Europe
- Developed democracy, theater, and philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)
- City-states: Athens, Sparta
Ancient Rome:
- Located in central Italy
- Developed Roman law, architecture, and engineering
- Republic (509 BCE - 27 BCE), Empire (27 BCE - 476 CE)

Fall of the Roman Empire:
- 476 CE, marking the end of the Western Roman Empire
Middle Ages:
- 500 - 1500 CE, characterized by feudalism, chivalry, and the Crusades
- Rise of Christianity, monasteries, and trade guilds
Byzantine Empire:
- Eastern Roman Empire, lasted until 1453 CE
- Capital: Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul)

Industrial Revolution:
- 18th - 19th centuries, transition from manual labor to machine-based manufacturing
- Innovations: steam engine, textile machines, railways
- Impact: urbanization, economic growth, social changes

European Exploration:
- 15th - 17th centuries, exploration and colonization of the Americas, Africa, and Asia
- Key figures: Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Magellan
Motivations:
- Economic (trade, resources), religious (spreading Christianity), and scientific (discovery)
Impact:
- Transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between continents (Columbian Exchange)
- Conquest, colonization, and exploitation of indigenous populations

Post-WWII:
- 1945 - 1991 CE, ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union
- Divided Europe, Berlin Wall, and proxy wars
Key Events:
- Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Cuban Missile Crisis
- Detente period, Glasnost, and Perestroika
End of the Cold War:
- 1989 - 1991 CE, fall of the Berlin Wall, dissolution of the Soviet Union

Mesopotamia was located in modern-day Iraq and developed writing (cuneiform), the wheel, and irrigation systems, with empires including Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian.
Ancient Egypt, located in northeastern Africa, developed hieroglyphics, pyramids, and mummification, with a pharaonic period spanning from 3100 BCE to 30 BCE.
Ancient Greece, located in southeastern Europe, developed democracy, theater, and philosophy, with key figures including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and city-states such as Athens and Sparta.

The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE.
The Middle Ages, spanning from 500 to 1500 CE, were characterized by feudalism, chivalry, and the Crusades, with the rise of Christianity, monasteries, and trade guilds.
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, lasted until 1453 CE, with its capital in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).

The Industrial Revolution, which occurred from the 18th to the 19th centuries, marked a transition from manual labor to machine-based manufacturing.
Key innovations of the Industrial Revolution include the steam engine, textile machines, and railways, leading to urbanization, economic growth, and social changes.

European Exploration, which took place from the 15th to the 17th centuries, involved the exploration and colonization of the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
Key figures of this era include Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Magellan.
Motivations for exploration included economic growth (trade and resources), religious goals (spreading Christianity), and scientific discovery.
The Age of Exploration had a significant impact, including the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between continents (Columbian Exchange), conquest, colonization, and exploitation of indigenous populations.

The Cold War, which lasted from 1945 to 1991 CE, was an ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Key events of the Cold War include the Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Cuban Missile Crisis, detente period, Glasnost, and Perestroika.
The Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union from 1989 to 1991 CE.