Ancient History is the study of time between the beginning of recorded history to the Early Middle Ages (34th century BCE to 4th century CE). It is the consensus among historians that the oldest discovered articulate system of writing, Cuneiform Script, marks the beginning of recorded history.
It should be noted that different parts of the world adopted the practices of writing and recording history at completely different points in time. Because of this, the lines between prehistory and ancient history are blurred depending on the region in question.
Some famous civilizations from ancient history whose legacies we still see today are Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley Civilizations, ancient Egypt, ancient China, ancient Rome and ancient Greece. These civilizations varied significantly in time, culture, politics and religion but all managed to leave their own marks on our world.
Most ancient civilizations’ cultures and worldviews were dominated by their geographies. Some civilizations were forced to lead isolationist existences because of where they were physically situated. Others relied on their rivers for irrigation and agriculture. The physical situation of ancient Greece called for the adoption of convenient city states. There were even very early civilizations such as Mesopotamia that were able to practice trade with other civilizations.
Modern civilizations owe a huge debt to the empires, civilizations, kingdoms and dynasties that rose, fell and survived through ancient history. If you have ever written, read a history book, done taxes or eaten something from a different country you have experienced the influence of ancient history.