Ancient Civilizations
112 sourced historical stories, arranged by subject.
Ancient CivilizationsThe Acropolis is a group of buildings on a hill
The Acropolis of Athens is more than one temple. It is an elevated complex containing the Parthenon, the monumental gateway, and other structures associated with religious ceremonies.
Ancient CivilizationsVolcanic ash sealed a Bronze Age town on Santorini
Akrotiri was a prosperous Bronze Age settlement on Santorini with paved streets, drainage, multi-storey buildings, and vivid wall paintings. A volcanic eruption buried the town in ash. Excavation exposed evidence of Aegean trade and daily life, while the eruption’s precise date remains a subject of debate.
Ancient CivilizationsCalligraphy and geometric patterns decorated a palace
Granada's Alhambra is known for its courtyards, water features, and intricate ornament. Arabic calligraphy, plant motifs, and geometric forms work together across its architectural surfaces.
Ancient CivilizationsAthletes competed for olive wreaths in a Greek religious festival
The ancient Olympic Games, or the ancient Olympics, were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held at the Panhellenic religious sanctuary of Olympia, in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin.
Ancient CivilizationsAngkor Wat's religious use changed over time
Angkor Wat was initially associated with Hindu worship and gradually became a Buddhist religious site. Its buildings retain groups of towers, galleries, and extensive narrative reliefs.
Ancient CivilizationsSmall arches lighten a stone bridge's shoulders
Zhaozhou Bridge combines a large stone arch with smaller arches in its shoulders. These openings reduce the bridge's weight and provide additional room for water when levels rise.
Ancient CivilizationsRome built a road whose route outlasted the republic
The Appian Way, also known by its Latin and Italian name, Via Appia, is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy.
Ancient CivilizationsTerraced platforms form a Buddhist monument
Borobudur in Indonesia consists of multiple platforms, reliefs, and stupas. As visitors follow its paths, they encounter religious narratives and a symbolic spatial arrangement.
Ancient CivilizationsCliffside Buddhas displayed Buddhist art along the Silk Road
The two colossal Buddhas in the cliffs of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, represented local Buddhist art and exchanges across regions. Their outer surfaces once included modeled and painted materials.
Ancient CivilizationsA city of earthen pyramids rose beside the Mississippi
Near the Mississippi River, Cahokia grew into a major Indigenous city with plazas, neighborhoods, and monumental earthen mounds. Its enormous platform mounds and carefully organized spaces reveal a complex society, while archaeology continues to test explanations for its rapid expansion and later decline.
Ancient CivilizationsA Peruvian city built monuments before pottery became common
Caral was a major early settlement on Peru's coast, with monumental platforms, plazas, and evidence of complex exchange. Its inhabitants built an urban ceremonial landscape before pottery became widespread in the region, and discoveries of musical instruments add a vivid dimension to its ancient society.
Ancient CivilizationsA harbor gave merchant ships and warships separate basins
Carthage organized its maritime power around a city with specialized harbor spaces. Trade, agriculture, and political institutions supported a state that competed across the Mediterranean. Its commercial and military infrastructure helps explain why this North African city became a formidable rival of other ancient powers.