Prehistoric: Neolithic Age - 5000 BC
Jericho (9000 BC) - primordial urban center in Canaan
Çatalhöyük (7500 BC) - primordial urban center in Anatolia
the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture (5500 BC) - early urban culture in the Black Sea coastal region
Ancient: 5000 BC - 1000 BC
the Sumerians (5000 BC) - the "first" civilization, located in the "Fertile Crescent" of Mesopotamia
the Egyptians (4500 BC) - long-lived civilization of the Nile Valley and the Faiyum
the Canaanites (3500 BC) - multiple tribal city-states spread across the Levant
the Meluhhans (3300 BC) - the Indus Valley civilization, also known as the Harappans
the Jiroft civilization (3000 BC) - recently discovered civilization in Iran, possibly "proto-Elamites"
the Elamites (2700 BC) - early monarchical society that flourished in western Persia
the Norte Chico civilization (2600 BC) - relatively unknown civilization of pyramid-builders in northern Peru
the Akkadians (2500 BC) - second Mesopotamian civilization, with offshoots including the Babylonian and Assyrian Empires
the Minoans (2500 BC) - thalassocratic civilization centered on Crete in the Mediterranean Sea
the Babylonians (2300 BC) - scientific and cultured Akkadian subculture in south-central Mesopotamia
the Assyrians (2300 BC) - militaristic Akkadian subculture in north-central Mesopotamia
the Hurrians (2200 BC) - Indo-European culture in Armenia and northern Mesopotamia, including the Kingdoms of Mitanni and Urartu
the Hittites (2200 BC) - urban culture centered around Hattusha in Anatolia
the Olmecs (2200 BC) - the first major civilization of Mesoamerica
the Chinese (2200 BC) - dynastic civilization along the Yangtze and Huang He river valleys in eastern Asia
the Mycenaeans (2000 BC) - early civilization that developed on the Greek mainland and the Aegean Sea
the Nubians (2000 BC) - early African civilization in southern Egypt and Sudan, including the Kingdom of Kush
the Mayans (1800 BC) - the most prolific Mesoamerican civilization, centered in Tehuantepec, the Peten and the Yucatan
the Hebrews (1500 BC) - Semitic nomads that eventually settled in Canaan
the Phoenicians (1500 BC) - seafaring Canaanite city-states in the northern Levant
the Vedic civilization (1500 BC) - Aryan city-states established in northern India
the Anatolians (1200 BC) - a series of smaller kingdoms in Asia Minor, including Lydia, Lycia, Caria and Phrygia, among others
the Aramaeans (1200 BC) - city-states in Syria, the Levant, and northwestern Mesopotamia
the Caucasians (1200 BC) - civilization arising in the Caucasus mountains, including the Kingdom of Colchis
Classical: 1000 BC - AD 500
the Sabaeans (1000 BC) - proto-Arabic civilization that flourished in Yemen, including the Kingdom of Saba' (or Sheba)
the Chavín (900 BC) - civilization that developed in the Andean highlands of Peru
the Persians (800 BC) - civilization that developed in Iran, including the Median, Persian and Parthian empires
the Greeks (800 BC) - city-states centered in Greece that spread across the Mediterranean world
the Etruscans (800 BC) - early northern Italian civilization
the Tartessians (800 BC) - early urban culture centered around Tartessos in Spain
the Carthaginians (800 BC) - Phoenician colonies in north Africa and the western Mediterranean
the Macedonians (700 BC) - monarchical civilization that developed in the Balkans, north of Greece
the Romans (700 BC) - prominent Latin kingdom, republic, and later empire centered on the Italian peninsula
the Celts (500 BC) - tribal civilization that spread throughout central and western Europe
the Zapotecs (500 BC) - pre-Columbian civilization in the Oaxaca valley of central Mexico
the Indians (500 BC) - various kingdoms and empires derived from the Vedic civilization in India, including the Maurya and Gupta Empires
the Aksumites (400 BC) - African civilization centered in Ethiopia
the Yamato (400 BC) - east Asian civilization centered on the archipelago of Japan
the Choson (400 BC) - east Asian civiliation centered on the peninsula of Korea
the Tamil (400 BC) - south Asian civilization that developed in southern India and Sri Lanka, including the Chola Empire
the Hellenistic civilization (300 BC) - Greek-influenced civilization spread from the Mediterranean to Bactria and India
the Nabataeans (300 BC) - civilization controlling a string of oasis-based cities from Jordan to Arabia, including Petra
the Berbers (200 BC) - North African civilization located in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, including the Kingdom of Numidia
the Teotihuacan civilization (200 BC) - urban civilization in central Mexico
the Burmese (200 BC) - southeast Asian civilization in Myanmar
the Vietnamese (200 BC) - southeast Asian civilization located in Indochina
the Khmer (AD 100) - various southeast Asian polities in Cambodia and the surrounding region
the Nazca (AD 100) - South American civilization that developed along the southern coast of Peru
the Moche (AD 100) - coastal civilization in northern Peru
the Tiwanaku civilization (AD 100) - pre-Columbian civilization located in the Andes mountains of Peru, Bolivia and Chile
the Huns (AD 200) - confederation of steppe tribes that produced various polities across a vast swathe of Eurasia, including the Hunnic, Hephthalite and Kushan Empires
Medieval: AD 500 - AD 1500
the Byzantines (AD 500) - Mediterranean civilization comprised of the eastern Roman Empire
the Arabs (AD 500) - Islamic civilization centered around the Arabian peninsula
the Teutons (AD 500) - civilization comprised of various Germanic polities in northern and central Europe including the Holy Roman Empire and its successor states
the Huari (AD 500) - pre-Columbian civilization based in the south-central Andes of Peru
the Olmec-Xicalanca (AD 500) - civilization in central Mexico that settled monumental cities like Huapalcalco and Xochicalco, not to be confused with the Olmecs
the Hausa (AD 500) - West African civilization arising in Nigeria
the Anglo-Saxons (AD 600) - northern European civilization focused in the British Isles
the Tibetans (AD 600) - east Asian civilization based in the Himalayas
the Indonesians (AD 600) - southeast Asian civilization based in the Malaysian peninsula and Indonesian archipelago
the Moors (AD 700) - Islamic civilization based in North Africa and Spain
the Siamese (AD 700) - Thai civilization based in southeast Asia
the Anasazi (AD 700) - North American pueblo-dwelling civilization based in the southwestern United States
the Slavs (AD 700) - eastern European civilization consisting of various tribes and kingdoms including Poland
the Norse (AD 800) - northern European civilization based in Scandinavia and beyond
the Toltecs (AD 800) - Mesoamerican civilization based at Tula in central Mexico
the Malinese (AD 800) - western African civilization, including the empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai
the Mississippians (AD 800) - North American mound-building civilization, based at Cahokia in the mid-west of the United States
the Chimú (AD 900) - pre-Columbian civilization located along the northern coast of Peru
the Mixtecs (AD 900) - Mesoamerican civilization located in central Mexico
the French (AD 900) - western European civilization occupying the majority of Gaul, resulting from a fusion of Gallo-Roman and Frankish elements
the Iberians (AD 900) - southern European civilization comprised of the various Christian kingdoms of Spain and Portugal
the Italians (AD 900) - southern European civilization comprised of various mercantile city-states along the Italian peninsula
the Russians (AD 900) - large Slavic subculture arising on the Eurasian steppes from a fusion of Norse and Slavic elements
the Tatars (AD 900) - confederation of tribes arising on the central Asian steppes, resulting in polities as disparate as Bulgaria and Kazan
the Kanem-Bornu (AD 900) - central African civilization stretching from Nigeria to Chad
the Zimbabweans (AD 1000) - civilization located on the southern African inland plateau
the Magyars (AD 1000) - migratory Finno-Ugric people that settled in eastern Europe
the Turks (AD 1000) - migratory civilization that ultimately settled in Turkey and gave rise to the Seljuk and Ottoman Empires
the Polynesians (AD 1100) - oceanic civilization consisting of multiple tribes spread across the Pacific Ocean, including the Tongans, Samoans, Hawaiians and Maori
the Jurchen (AD 1100) - east Asian civilization located in Manchuria, dynastic rulers of China's Jin and Qing dynasties
the Mongols (AD 1200) - central Asian civilization inhabiting the steppes of Mongolia, conquered an empire spanning most of Eurasia
the Balts (AD 1200) - various tribes arising in the coastal region of the Baltic Sea
the Incans (AD 1200) - South American civilization spanning the Andes from Ecuador and Peru to Chile and Bolivia
the Aztecs (AD 1300) - Mesoamerican confederation of tribes centered around Tenochtitlan (or Mexico City)
the Bantu (AD 1400) - African civilization comprised of a conglomeration of tribes arising in south-central Africa
the Edo (AD 1400) - west African civilization arising in southern Nigeria, including the Benin Empire
the Yoruba (AD 1400) - west African civilization arising in western and northern Nigeria
Modern: AD 1500 - Present
the Dutch (AD 1500) - Germanic subculture in the Low Countries
the Ashanti (AD 1600) - west African civilization arising in Ghana
the Dahomey (AD 1600) - west African civilization arising in Benin
the Iroquois (AD 1600) - North American confederation of tribes in the northeastern United States
the Cherokee (AD 1700) - North American confederation of tribes in the southeastern United States
the Americans (AD 1700) - Anglo-Saxon subculture with heavy immigrant and indigenous influences
the Sioux (AD 1800) - North American confederation of tribes in the mid-western United States
the Latin American civilization (AD 1800) - fusion of colonial and indigenous elements occurring in Central and South America
past
