Title

Subtitle

Description

Cradles Of Civilization

Please see our sources for our map.

Civilization Specific Charts

Norte Chico / Andes Civilization – Annotated Table

MetricDetailsFootnotes
Datec. 3000–1800 BCE1, 7, 8
Domesticated CropsCotton, squash, beans, sweet potato, avocado, guava2, 7, 12
Domesticated AnimalsLlamas, alpacas, guinea pigs3, 9, 10
Notable SitesCaral, Aspero, Bandurria, Huaricanga4, 7, 8
Primary FoodsAnchovies, sardines (marine-based diet), squash, beans, sweet potato2, 5, 12
River Systems / GeographySupe River Valley and nearby desert-fed coastal rivers, nourished by Andean glacial runoff6, 7, 8
Modern CountriesPeru7

Footnotes

  1. Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, p. 140. Identifies Supe Valley as an early urban zone.
  2. Diamond, GGS, pp. 110–111. Cotton used for nets; crop domestication context.
  3. Diamond, GGS, pp. 162–163. Discusses llama, alpaca, and guinea pig domestication.
  4. Diamond, GGS, p. 140. Describes ceremonial centers though not named.
  5. Diamond, GGS, pp. 110–111. Marine food sources mentioned in economic context.
  6. Diamond, GGS, p. 140. Geography and river-fed desert zones discussed.
  7. William H. McNeill, A World History, p. 113. Identifies Peru as an early civilizational hub with native crops.
  8. UNESCO – Sacred City of Caral-Supe. Caral recognized as one of the oldest American cities.
  9. Florida Museum – Andean Domestication. Cites llama, alpaca, and guinea pig use.
  10. OER Project – Agrarian Societies. Overview of animal and crop use in Andean societies.
  11. Ancient Origins – Norte Chico. Explains trade and marine economy structure.
  12. LAC Geo – Norte Chico. Focuses on cotton’s role in economic development.

Timeline Sources

Mesopotamia

PeriodDatesDetails
Sumerc. 3100–2000 BCEFirst urban society; city-states like Uruk, Lagash, Ur; invention of writing.1, 6, 10
Akkadian Empirec. 2334–2154 BCESargon of Akkad unites Mesopotamia under the first empire.2, 7, 11
Ur III Dynastyc. 2112–2004 BCENeo-Sumerian resurgence under Ur-Nammu; administrative centralization.3, 7, 12
Old Babylonian Periodc. 1894–1595 BCEHammurabi unifies much of Mesopotamia; early law code.3, 7, 13
Assyrian Empirec. 2025–609 BCEMilitary powerhouse; Nineveh, Ashur; massive imperial expansion.4, 8, 14
Neo-Babylonian Empire626–539 BCEBabylon revived under Nebuchadnezzar II; cultural golden age.4, 15
Achaemenid Persian Rule539–331 BCECyrus the Great conquers Babylon; integrates it into Persian Empire.5, 16
Seleucid Empire312–63 BCEHellenistic rule following Alexander the Great’s conquest.9, 17
Parthians & Sassanids247 BCE–651 CEPersian dynasties dominate Mesopotamia before the Islamic conquest.9, 18, 19
Islamic Conquest633–638 CERashidun Caliphate incorporates Mesopotamia.20
Umayyad Caliphate661–750 CECentralized rule from Damascus; further expansion.21
Abbasid Caliphate750–1258 CEBaghdad becomes capital; Mesopotamia thrives intellectually and economically.22
Ottoman Iraq1534–1918 CEProvinces of Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul under Ottoman rule.23
British Mandate1920–1932 CELeague of Nations mandate; establishment of Hashemite monarchy.24
Kingdom of Iraq1932–1958 CEIndependent monarchy under King Faisal II; ended by revolution.25
Republic of Iraq1958–presentModern state with history of coups, wars, and recent reconstruction.26
Footnotes
  1. McNeill, William H. A World History, pp. 22–23. Describes Sumerian urbanization, irrigation, and early writing systems.
  2. McNeill, p. 52. Covers Sargon of Akkad and the formation of the first Mesopotamian empire.
  3. McNeill, p. 52. Describes the rise of Ur III and the administrative role of Babylon under Hammurabi.
  4. McNeill, p. 70. Discusses the Neo-Babylonian and Assyrian empires as centralizing powers.
  5. McNeill, p. 146. Describes Persian (Achaemenid) conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the Great.
  6. McNeill, pp. 32–33. Additional details on metallurgy, city life, and early Mesopotamian advances.
  7. Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel, pp. 93–94. Connects early state formation to food surpluses in regions like Mesopotamia.
  8. McNeill, p. 70. On Assyrian military power and control of Mesopotamia.
  9. McNeill, p. 146. Discusses post-Alexander Hellenistic (Seleucid) and Persian (Parthian, Sassanid) periods.
  10. History.com – “Sumer.”
  11. World History Encyclopedia – “Sargon of Akkad.”
  12. World History Encyclopedia – “Ur-Nammu.”
  13. History.com – “Hammurabi.”
  14. Wikipedia – “Assyria.”
  15. Wikipedia – “Nebuchadnezzar II.”
  16. Britannica – “Cyrus the Great.”
  17. Wikipedia – “Seleucid Empire.”
  18. World History Encyclopedia – “Parthian Empire.”
  19. World History Encyclopedia – “Sassanid Empire.”
  20. Wikipedia – “History of Iraq” (Islamic conquest section).
  21. Wikipedia – “Umayyad Caliphate.”
  22. Britannica – “Abbasid Caliphate.”
  23. Wikipedia – “Ottoman Iraq.”
  24. Wikipedia – “Mandatory Iraq.”
  25. Wikipedia – “Kingdom of Iraq.”
  26. Wikipedia – “Modern History of Iraq.”