About

History is often taught in fragmented silos, making it difficult to visualize the concurrent rise and fall of global powers. This tool provides a synchronized chronological database of over 100 civilizations, ranging from the Neolithic Revolution to the late Post-Classical Era.

The data focuses on the Core Territory (origin point) and Temporal Span (start to collapse/conquest). Comparative analysis of Duration allows researchers to contextualize the longevity of the Egyptian Dynasties against the rapid expansion and fragmentation of the Mongol Empire.

Formulas

The temporal overlap O between two civilizations A and B is calculated as:

O = max(0, min(A_end, B_end) − max(A_start, B_start))

If O > 0, the civilizations co-existed, allowing for potential trade or conflict.

Reference Data

Civilization	Region	Start (Year)	End (Year)	Duration
Sumer	Mesopotamia	4500 BCE	1900 BCE	2600 Years
Ancient Egypt (Dynastic)	North Africa	3100 BCE	30 BCE	3070 Years
Norte Chico (Caral)	South America	3500 BCE	1800 BCE	1700 Years
Indus Valley (Harappan)	South Asia	3300 BCE	1300 BCE	2000 Years
Minoan	Europe	2700 BCE	1100 BCE	1600 Years
Xia Dynasty	East Asia	2070 BCE	1600 BCE	470 Years
Babylonian (Old)	Mesopotamia	1894 BCE	1595 BCE	299 Years
Hittite Empire	Anatolia	1600 BCE	1178 BCE	422 Years
Olmec	Mesoamerica	1500 BCE	400 BCE	1100 Years
Zhou Dynasty	East Asia	1046 BCE	256 BCE	790 Years

Frequently Asked Questions

Dates represent the academic consensus for the political or cultural distinctiveness of the entity. For example, "Ancient Egypt" ends at 30 BCE with the Roman annexation, despite the culture continuing.

While the Xia Dynasty's exact details are debated, archaeological evidence (Erlitou culture) supports early state-level societies in that timeframe. We include them with archaeological dating estimates.

Yes. Entities like the Xiongnu, Scythians, and Mongols are critical to world history, even if their "borders" were fluid.

It refers to the geographical center of gravity or origin, not the maximum territorial extent (which often spanned multiple regions).