Ancient
The term “ancient” is used to describe the period of history prior to the Middle Ages and before written records. Ancient civilization dates back thousands of years, originating in Africa, Asia, and Europe. This includes some of the earliest known cultures such as Sumerian, Egyptian, Babylonian, Indus Valley Civilization (India), Shang Dynasty (China), Minoan/Mycenaean (Greece), Olmecs (Mexico) and Mayans/Aztecs (Central America).
From the beginning of recorded history until approximately 500 B.C., humans were largely hunter-gatherers who lived off their environment using tools made from stone or bone. As early civilizations emerged around 3000 B.C., they began forming organized societies with social structures and religious beliefs that still influence modern life today. Ancient peoples also developed writing systems for recording information which helped them advance their knowledge base in areas like mathematics, astronomy and medicine; many discoveries made during this time continue to form a basis for our understanding today.
Architecture was another area where ancient civilizations excelled: monumental monuments such as Stonehenge in Britain or The Great Pyramid at Giza demonstrate their engineering skill and ambition for grandeur projects on an unprecedented scale that are still impressive today despite being thousands of years old. Other major breakthroughs from antiquity include advances in mathematics – including algebraic equations – by mathematicians like Euclid; pioneering medical texts by Hippocrates; naval warfare tactics outlined by Sun Tzu; works on philosophy by Socrates & Plato; Homer’s epics regarding Greek mythology & war heroes such as Odysseus; Virgil’s Aeneid describing Roman values & laws under Augustus Caesar etc.. All these inventions did not only provide us with insights into past cultures but have influenced subsequent generations up until now too!
Artistic achievements also flourished during this period with people creating stunning sculptures, pottery pieces or magnificent frescoes inside tombs or palaces – all forms that are highly admired even after so much time has gone by since then! Finally it should be mentioned how religion played an important role within ancient societies providing communities meaning through shared rituals while helping them cope with difficult times without having access to modern technology yet still managing to establish sophisticated urban centers capable enough of sustaining large populations over long periods due to their innovative methods related mainly based upon agriculture development knowledge gathered throughout generations passed down orally via oral tradition stories told generation after generation upon each other…