Third Dynasty of Ur: Did you mean...?

The civil service examinations of Imperial China allowed the state to find the best candidates to staff the vast bureaucracy that governed China from the Han Dynasty onwards (206 BCE - 220 CE). The exams were a means for a young male of any...

Nitocris (2184-2181 BCE) is the Greek name for Nitiqret, the last monarch of the 6th Dynasty of Egypt which concluded the period of the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE). Nitocris is best known from the story told of her by Herodotus (484-425/413...

The Second Intermediate Period (circa 1782 to circa 1570 BCE) is the era following the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (2040-1782 BCE) and preceding the New Kingdom (circa 1570-1069 BCE). As with all historical designations of the eras of Egyptian...

The Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE) represents one of the earliest historically attested states in China, emerging in the Yellow River basin after the period traditionally associated with the Xia. Rather than a territorially unified state...

Confucianism is a philosophy developed in 6th-century BCE China, which is considered by some a secular-humanist belief system, by some a religion, and by others a social code. The broad range of subjects touched on by Confucianism lends itself...

The Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) represents one of the high points of imperial Chinese history, reaching its widest territorial extent during the reign of Emperor Gaozong (reign 649–683 CE). By the late 7th century, around 669 CE, the empire...

The Julio-Claudian dynasty (27 BCE–68 CE) oversaw the establishment and consolidation of the Roman Empire following the political crises and civil wars that ended the Republic. Founded by Augustus (reign 27 BCE–14 CE), the dynasty created...

The Egyptian Empire rose during the period of the New Kingdom (c. 1570- c. 1069 BCE), when the country reached its height of wealth, international prestige, and military might. The empire stretched from modern-day Syria in the north to modern-day...

Egypt's Early Dynastic Period (3150-2613 BCE) lay the foundation of what would become one of the most impressive civilizations of the ancient world. The kings of this era, except for Narmer and Djoser, are often overlooked but were responsible...

Religious practices in ancient China go back over 7,000 years. Long before the philosophical and spiritual teachings of Confucius and Lao-Tzu developed or before the teachings of the Buddha came to China, the people worshipped personifications...