The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000-5,500 years, with cuneiform possibly being the oldest form of writing. Genetic evidence, however, points to the first appearance of human beings about 150,000 years ago. There is also a growing body of evidence that Homo sapiens first left Africa about 60,000 years ago. For further information about human origins, see Human evolution.

Ancient history is from the period of time when writing and historical records first appear, roughly 5,500 years before the Common Era. For some, the discovery of Agriculture, roughly 6,000 BCE is the beginning of ancient history. The end of ancient history is A.D. 476 (the fall of the Western Roman Empire).

Civilizations

• Ancient China
• Ancient Persia
• Ancient Egypt
• Ancient Greece
• Ancient Rome
• Ancient India
• Assyria
• Babylonia
• Byzantines (Early Eastern Empire, until 476 BC)
• Hellenic civilization
• Hittites
• Indus Valley civilization, unified from 2600 BC - 1900 BC.
• History of ancient Israel and Judah
• Kingdom of Israel
• Kingdom of Judah
• Mesopotamia
• Mitanni
• Native American
• Sumeria
• Susa
• Urartu -- Kingdom from 860 BC to 585 BC
• (Ancient Kingdoms of Central Eastern Africa; Axumite Kingdom, Kush etc)

Ideas

• Timeline of trends in music to 1899 and early music
• Ancient philosophy
• Ancient warfare
• Classical Antiquity
• Late Antiquity