World History Encyclopedia

Minoan Civilization written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Kelly Macquire: https://www.worldhistory.org/Minoan_Civilization/ 

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The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:

https://www.ancientlyre.com

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9

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The Minoan civilization flourished in the Middle Bronze Age on the island of Crete located in the eastern Mediterranean from c. 2000 BCE until c. 1500 BCE. With their unique art and architecture, and the spread of their ideas through contact with other cultures across the Aegean, the Minoans made a significant contribution to the development of Western European civilization as it is known today. Labyrinth-like palace complexes, vivid frescoes depicting scenes such as bull-leaping and processions, fine gold jewellery, elegant stone vases, and pottery with vibrant decorations of marine life are all particular features of Minoan Crete.  

Find this article on youtube -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgTCRNaJtqo&t=350s

Learn more about Ancient Egyptian Female Rulers here! https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1040/great-female-rulers-of-ancient-egypt/

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The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:

https://www.ancientlyre.com

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A

Women in ancient Egypt had more rights than in any other ancient culture and were valued with greater respect. This is evident not only in the physical evidence and inscriptions but in their religion. Some of the most powerful and important deities in the Egyptian pantheon are female and some versions of the creation myth itself present the goddess Neith, not the god Atum, as the creator.

Mesopotamia: The Rise of the Cities written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/678/mesopotamia-the-rise-of-the-cities/

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Once upon a time, in the land known as Sumer, the people built a temple to their god who had conquered the forces of chaos and brought order to the world. They built this temple at a place called Eridu, which was “one of the most southerly sites, at the very edge of the alluvial river plain and close to the marshes: the transitional zone between sea and land, with its shifting watercourses, islands and deep reed thickets” (Leick, 2).

Saturnalia written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Saskia Moorrees: https://www.worldhistory.org/Saturnalia/

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The Saturnalia was an enduring Roman festival dedicated to the agricultural god Saturn which was held between the 17th and 23rd of December each year during the winter solstice. Originating from archaic agricultural rituals the Roman festivities came to include a general round of gift-giving, merrymaking, and role-reversals so that it became one of the most popular celebrations in the calendar and certainly the jolliest. The similarities of some of its features and the timing - pushed later into December over time - suggest a strong influence on the Christian celebration of Christmas.

Susa written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://www.worldhistory.org/susa/

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Susa was one of the oldest cities in the world and part of the site is still inhabited as Shush, Khuzestan Province, Iran. Excavations have uncovered evidence of continual habitation dating back to 4395 BCE but that early community grew from an even older one dating back to c. 7000 BCE. Susa was a principal city of the Elamite, Achaemenid Persian, and Parthian empires and was originally known to the Elamites as 'Susan’ or 'Susun’. The Greek name for the city was Sousa and the Hebrew, Shushan. It is mentioned in the Bible in the books of Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and most notably the Book of Esther and was said to be the home of both Nehemiah and Daniel.

Gilgamesh written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://www.worldhistory.org/gilgamesh/

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Gilgamesh is the semi-mythic King of Uruk in Mesopotamia best known from The Epic of Gilgamesh (written c. 2150 - 1400 BCE) the great Sumerian/Babylonian poetic work which pre-dates Homer’s writing by 1500 years and, therefore, stands as the oldest piece of epic world literature.

The motif of the quest for the meaning of life is first fully explored in Gilgamesh as the hero-king leaves his kingdom following the death of his best friend, Enkidu, to find the mystical figure Utnapishtim and gain eternal life. Gilgamesh's fear of death is actually a fear of meaninglessness and, although he fails to win immortality, the quest itself gives his life meaning. This theme has been explored by writers and philosophers from antiquity up to the present day.

Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://www.worldhistory.org/Early_Dynastic_Period_(Mesopotamia)/

Find it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZD36NUPJjQ

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The Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia is the modern-day archaeological term for the era in Mesopotamian history – 2900-2334 BCE – during which some of the most significant cultural advances were made including the rise of the cities, the development of writing, and the establishment of governments. This era was preceded by the Uruk Period (4100-2900 BCE) when the first cities were established in the region of Sumer (southern Mesopotamia) and succeeded by the Akkadian Period (2334-2218 BCE) when Mesopotamia was conquered by Sargon of Akkad (r. 2334-2279 BCE) and ruled by him and his successors as the Akkadian Empire.

Dogs in Ancient Persia written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1482/dogs-in-ancient-persia/

Find it on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/TheStudyofAntiq…ddleAges/featured

The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:

www.ancientlyre.com

open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8…IH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9

www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A

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Dogs have been an integral aspect of the human condition in virtually every world culture for thousands of years. Some of the greatest civilizations of the past have kept dogs as companions, for various chores, and featured dogs in their art, literature, and elevated them to important positions in religious belief and, among these, were the Persians. The dog was highly valued in ancient Persia as they were considered part-wild, part-human, and part-divine, a gift from the gods.

The Kingdom of Kush written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://www.worldhistory.org/Kush/

Find it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheStudyofAntiquityandtheMiddleAges/featured

The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:

https://www.ancientlyre.com

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A

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Kush was a kingdom in northern Africa in the region corresponding to modern-day Sudan. The larger region around Kush (later referred to as Nubia) was inhabited c. 8,000 BCE but the Kingdom of Kush rose much later. The Kerma Culture, so named after the city of Kerma in the region, is attested as early as 2500 BCE and archaeological evidence from Sudan and Egypt show that Egyptians and the people of Kush region were in contact from the Early Dynastic Period in Egypt (c. 3150 - c. 2613 BCE) onwards. The later civilization defined as 'Kushite' probably evolved from this earlier culture but was heavily influenced by the Egyptians.

Ten Ancient Mesopotamia Facts You Need to Know written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1600/ten-ancient-mesopotamia-facts-you-need-to-know/

Find it on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/TheStudyofAntiquityandtheMiddleAges/featured

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Mesopotamia is the ancient Greek name (meaning “the land between two rivers”, the Tigris and Euphrates) for the region corresponding to modern-day Iraq and parts of Iran, Syria, and Turkey. It is considered the “cradle of civilization” for the many inventions and innovations which first appeared there c. 10,000 BCE through the 7th century CE. In the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Age, people gradually shifted from a hunter-gatherer paradigm to agrarianism, creating seasonal communities which became permanent during the Pottery Neolithic Age (c. 7000 BCE) and served as a basis for the development of cities during the Copper Age (5900-3200 BCE). This last era includes the Ubaid Period (c. 5000-4100 BCE) which saw the rise of the first temples (stepped towers known as ziggurats with a shrine at the top) and the creation of intricate art, ceramic work, and copper toolmaking.