The advent of writing was not only a central feature of most First Civilizations but also a great boon to later historians. Access to ancient peoples’ early written records allows us some insight, in their own words, as to how these peoples lived and how they thought about their lives. Such documents, of course, tell only a small part of the story, for they most often reflect the thinking of the literate few — usually male, upper class, powerful, and well-to-do — rather than the outlook of the vast majority who lacked such privileged positions. But on occasion, we catch a glimpse of more ordinary life in these ancient texts. Furthermore, the artistic products of these civilizations sometimes allow us to witness, or perhaps to imagine, something of the life of our ancient ancestors. What follows are texts and images from the First Civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China, all of them reflecting in some fashion the social lives of people in these First Civilizations.