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HISTORY
Empires
Oldest Civilisations
This list features the oldest known verified civilisations in history.
RANK | CIVILISATION | LOCATION | ORIGIN |
1 | Indigenous Peoples of Australia | Australia | 50,000 BCE |
2 | Jiahu | China | 7,000 BCE |
3 | Mesopotamia | Iraq; Kuwait; Turkey; Syria | 4,500 BCE |
4 | Indus Valley | Afghanistan; Pakistan; India | 3,300 BCE |
5 | Norte Chico | Peru | 3,200 BCE |
6 | Ancient Egypt | Egypt | 3,100 BCE |
7 | Ancient China | China | 2,100 BCE |
8 | Vedic Period | India | 1,750 BCE |
9 | Mycenaeans | Greece | 1,700 BCE |
10 | Olmecs | Central America | 1,200 BCE |
References
World Atlas, 2023. 10 of the World’s Oldest Civilizations. Available at: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/10-of-the-world-s-oldest-civilizations.html [Accessed 1 December 2025].
History.com, 2023. First Earliest Human Civilizations. Available at: https://www.history.com/news/first-earliest-human-civilizations# [Accessed 1 December 2025].
World History Encyclopedia, 2023. Mycenaean Civilization. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/Mycenaean_Civilization/ [Accessed 1 December 2025].
History.com, 2023. DNA Study Finds Aboriginal Australians World's Oldest Civilization. Available at: https://www.history.com/news/dna-study-finds-aboriginal-australians-worlds-oldest-civilization [Accessed 1 December 2025].
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2023. Jiahu: Early Chinese Civilization. Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jiah/hd_jiah.htm#:~:text=7000–5700%20B.C.),-Laura%20Anne%20Tedesco&text=The%20archaeological%20site%20of%20Jiahu,and%20artistic%20remains%20uncovered%20there [Accessed 1 December 2025].
ThoughtCo, 2023. Introduction to Ancient Mesopotamia. Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/introduction-to-ancient-mesopotamia-171837 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Lumen Learning, 2023. The Indus River Valley Civilization. Available at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/the-indus-river-valley-civilization/ [Accessed 1 December 2025].
New World Encyclopedia, 2023. Norte Chico Civilization. Available at: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Norte_Chico_civilization [Accessed 1 December 2025].
History.com, 2023. Ancient Egypt. Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/ancient-egypt [Accessed 1 December 2025].
China Highlights, 2023. A Brief History of China. Available at: https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/china-history.htm [Accessed 1 December 2025].
World History Encyclopedia, 2023. Olmec Civilization. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/Olmec_Civilization/ [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Lumen Learning, 2023. The Indo-Aryan Migration and the Vedic Period. Available at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/the-indo-aryan-migration-and-the-vedic-period/#:~:text=The%20Vedic%20Period%20refers%20to,with%20them%20specific%20religious%20traditions [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SCALA
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