What’s the Significance?
Norte Chico/Caral, 63; 66
Indus Valley civilization, 66
Central Asian/Oxus civilization, 67–68
Olmec civilization, 68; 78
Uruk, 69–70
Mohenjo Daro/Harappa, 70
Epic of Gilgamesh, 70; 81
Code of Hammurabi, 71–72
patriarchy, 73–75
rise of the state, 75–80
Egypt: “the gift of the Nile,” 80–89
Paneb, 84–85
Nubia, 86
Big Picture Questions
Next Steps: For Further Study
Cyril Aldred, The Egyptians (1998). A brief and up-to-date account from a widely recognized expert.
Jonathan M. Kenoyer, Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (1998). A thorough and beautifully illustrated study by a leading archeologist of the area.
Samuel Noah Kramer, History Begins at Sumer (1981). A classic account of Sumerian civilization, filled with wonderful stories and anecdotes.
David B. O’Connor, Ancient Nubia: Egypt’s Rival in Africa (1994). An overview of this ancient African civilization, with lovely illustrations based on a museum exhibit.
Christopher A. Pool, Olmec Archeology and Early Mesoamerica (2007). A scholarly and up-to-date account of the earliest civilization in Mesoamerica.
Robert Thorp, China in the Early Bronze Age: Shang Civilization (2006). An accessible and scholarly account of early Chinese civilization informed by recent archeological discoveries.
“The Indus Civilization,” http://www.harappa.com/har/har0.html. Hundreds of vivid pictures and several brief essays on the Indus Valley civilization.
The British Museum, “Ancient Egypt,” http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html. An interactive exploration of Egyptian civilization.