Why did the first complex, politically centralized civilizations materialize along rivers? Find out here by taking a close look at the Nile River civilizations, Mesopotamia, the Harappan civilization and the Xia, the Shang, and the Zhou...

This website provides notes for students to be able to identify the causes and effects of the Neolithic Revolution and the development of the River Valley Civilizations. In addition, it describes how geography affected the development of...

Observe the rise of civilizations from 3500BC to the present with this "living" map. See where the first cities developed and watch as civilizations spread across the world.

A detailed account of the history and culture of Sumeria at this site from History World International. Includes section on language, writing, world view and religion.

This slide presentation provides an in-depth look at the Indian, Chinese and Mediterranean world's development from river valleys into classic civilizations. Early river valleys and classic civilizations are described on a broad spectrum...

Short quiz to test knowledge of Ancient Egypt.

Short quiz on Mesopotamia.

A short quiz on Ancient Egypt.

A short quiz on ancient India.

Short quiz on ancient Chinese dynasties.

A short quiz on ancient China.

A five-question quiz on early humans, with reference to the Blombos and Border Caves in South Africa.

A short quiz on the beginning of agriculture.

Short quiz on the Gupta Empire and Buddhism.

Nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the world's first major city sprang up in a fertile region of land called Mesopotamia. This article discusses the kings, writing, monumental temples and palaces, specialized occupations,...

Ancient Assyrians were inhabitants of one the world's earliest civilizations, Mesopotamia, which began to emerge around 3500 B . C . The Assyrians invented the world's first written language and the 360-degree circle, established...

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the importance of flooding around the Nile River. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

Site offers interdisciplinary lesson plans on Ancient Egypt.Students will thoroughly research many aspects of life in Ancient Egypt. Lessons will culminate with students presenting their research findings using, a T.V News Show format....

At this site from The Nobel Foundation you can read about V.S. Naipaul, the man who won the 2001 Nobel Prize in Literature. His life and works are discussed in this detailed website,providing video, original texts and speeches and...