Kindling | Archive of Human Genius

We are building the world’s largest database of social change milestones, from the first fire to today's good news. Change is not only possible, it has happened consistently throughout human history.

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~700 B.C.E. ??? ~700 B.C.E. ???

The Medes people of ancient Iran come together to form the Median Kingdom

The Medes were an ancient Iranian people[N 2] who spoke the Median language and who inhabited an area known as Media between western and northern Iran.

~730 B.C.E. ~730 B.C.E.

Homer composes epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey

Homer is the earliest poet in Western culture whose works have survived intact.

~750 B.C.E. ~750 B.C.E.

The Saka peoples thrive in the Eurasian Steppe

The Saka were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples who historically inhabited the northern and eastern Eurasian Steppe and the Tarim Basin. The Saka are attested in historical and archaeological records dating to around the 8th century BC.

~750 B.C.E. ~750 B.C.E.

The Thamud civilization emerges on the Arabian peninsula

The Thamūd is an ancient civilization in the Hejaz known from the 8th century BCE to near the time of Muhammad.

~750 B.C.E. ~750 B.C.E.

Iranian nomads build irrigation channels in Central Asia

In the first millennium BC, Iranian nomads established irrigation systems along the rivers of Central Asia and built towns at Bukhara and Samarqand.

753 B.C.E. 753 B.C.E.

Rome is founded on the banks of the Tiber

Originally a small town on the banks of the Tiber, Rome grew in size and strength, early on, through trade.

776 B.C.E. 776 B.C.E.

The first Olympic games begin in Greece

They continued for nearly 12 centuries, until Emperor Theodosius decreed in 393 A.D. that all such "pagan cults" be banned.

~800 B.C.E ~800 B.C.E

City-states rise to power in ancient Greece

The city-states emerged from the Dark Ages which followed the fall of the Mycenaean civilization in Greece and by the 8th century BCE a significant process of urbanisation had begun.

~813 B.C.E. ~813 B.C.E.

The Phoenicians found the city of Carthage in modern-day Tunisia

Originally a small port on the coast, established only as a stop for Phoenician traders to re-supply or repair their ships, Carthage grew to become the most powerful city in the Mediterranean before the rise of Rome.

~850 B.C.E. ??? ~850 B.C.E. ???

The Assyrians build the world's first long-distance canal systems

The first sophisticated long-distance canal systems were constructed in the Assyrian empire in the 9th century BCE and incorporated tunnels several kilometres in length.

~900 B.C.E. ~900 B.C.E.

The ancient Mayan city of Altun Ha is founded in modern-day Belize

Altun Ha was occupied for many centuries, from about 900 B.C. to A.D. 1000. Most of the information on Altun Ha comes from the Classic Period from about A.D. 400 to A.D. 900, when the city was at its largest.

~900 B.C.E. ~900 B.C.E.

Stone architecture arises in the Copán River valley in modern-day Honduras for the first time

The fertile Copán River valley was long a site of agriculture before the first known stone architecture was built in the region about the 9th century BC.

~900 B.C.E. ~900 B.C.E.

Jainism emerges in the Indian sub-continent

Jainsm has a set of five vows: nonviolence, truth-speaking, non-stealing, no sexual immorality and non-attachment to worldly things.

~1000 B.C.E. ~1000 B.C.E.

The Vanga Kingdom comes to power in modern-day India and Bangladesh

Vanga was an ancient kingdom and geopolitical division on the Ganges delta in the Indian subcontinent. It was located in southern Bengal, with the core region including present-day southern West Bengal (India) and southwestern Bangladesh.

~1000 B.C.E. ~1000 B.C.E.

Timoto-Cuica culture thrives in modern-day Venezuela

Pre-Columbian Venezuela had an estimated population of one million. The Timoto-Cuica culture was the most complex society in Pre-Columbian Venezuela; with pre-planned permanent villages, surrounded by irrigated, terraced fields and with tanks for water storage.

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NOTE: We cannot guarantee we will post all stories submitted here. We only post stories that represent milestones in human development (as opposed to “feel good” stories). We want something that would make sense to put on a timeline of human progress. For example, a story like “Random customer leaves a huge tip” isn't a great fit. “Country X passes economic inequality reform bill” is a great fit.

3755

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