# Ancient Civilizations & Global History

## 🏺 Mesopotamia (The Fertile Crescent)
- **Sumer**: Invention of Cuneiform writing and the first city-states (Ur, Uruk).
- **Babylon**: Advanced mathematics, astronomy, and architectural feats like the Hanging Gardens.

## 🏺 Ancient Egypt
- **Old Kingdom**: Construction of the Pyramids of Giza.
- **Religion**: Polytheism centered on the Pharaoh as a divine intermediary; belief in the afterlife (Osiris).

## 🏺 Indus Valley Civilization
- **Urban Planning**: Sophisticated drainage systems, standardized brick sizes, and trade with Mesopotamia.

## 🏺 Ancient China
- **Dynastic Cycles**: The Mandate of Heaven and the development of the Great Wall.
- **Inventions**: Gunpowder, paper, and the compass.

## 🏺 Pre-Columbian Americas
- **Maya**: Advanced calendar systems and monumental architecture.
- **Inca**: Massive infrastructure (The Royal Road) and administrative efficiency (Quipu).