First Civilizations

Archaeologist Jeff Rose examines the history of a petroglyph in Oman and its connection to the rise of international trade.

Examine an ancient civilization unlike any other, that of the Indus Valley. Rather than imposing order through war or religion, it relied on the free flow of trade. The exchange of goods promoted wealth, co-operation and trust.

The merchant’s seal was a guarantee of quality goods.

Explore the splendor of the Indus Valley civilization.

View the birthplace of civilization: the Middle East, site of the world’s first villages, towns and cities, from the hills of Turkey to the plains of Iraq. They were crucibles of invention and innovation—turbo-charging the pace of progress.

Humans are social creatures. Evolutionary Psychologist Michael Muthukrishna explains why sociability is at the heart of civilization.

Explore the rise of inequality and threat of dictatorship.

Discover the secret to the stability and cohesion of Ancient Egypt: religion. When people share a core set of beliefs, they are more likely to identify as one. That was true for the first civilizations and it’s just as true today.

Anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas records the ritual of Sufis in Istanbul to see how the physical experience affects their bodies.

In Ancient Egypt, at the site of Nekhen, kings were recognized as living gods.

Nabta Playa, 10 square miles of stones, was a religious monument where people could come together to worship.

Explore the power of obsidian weapons and their use in the Teotihuacan civilization.