| Sumerian | c. 4500 BC | Invented writing, developed city-states | c. 1750 BC | Suffered from repeated invasions and internal strife |
| Egyptian | c. 3100 BC | Constructed the Pyramids, made significant scientific advancements | c. 30 BC | Fell to the Roman Empire, internal decay |
| Indus Valley | c. 3300 BC | Developed urban planning and sanitation systems | c. 1300 BC | Possible climate change, Aryan invasions |
| Mayan | c. 2000 BC | Developed a complex calendar and writing system, accomplished astronomers | c. 900 AD | Overpopulation, environmental degradation, warfare |
| Roman | c. 753 BC | Established representative government, extensive art and architecture | c. 476 AD | Economic troubles, Barbarian invasions, moral decay |
| Byzantine | c. 330 AD | Preserved Greek and Roman texts, Justinian Code | c. 1453 AD | Fell to Ottoman Turks, internal decay |
| Ottoman | c. 1299 AD | Revision of legal and political structure, architectural innovations | c. 1922 AD | Lost WWI, internal revolts, reformations in society |
