Cities -
first civilizations

View the birthplace of civilization: the Middle East, site of the world's first villages, towns and cities, from the hills of Turkey to the plains of Iraq. They were crucibles of invention and innovation-turbo-charging the pace of progress.

Episode Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 103

About First Civilizations:

Explore the seedbed civilizations of Mesoamerica, the Middle East and the Indus Valley to learn how and why early humans, who had been mobile foragers, created villages, towns, cities and states, establishing the blueprint for the modern world.

---

Watch First Civilizations - Clips, Episodes & Previews

---

---

NHPBS Over-the-Air Broadcast

---

NHPBS Five Channels

NHPBS Passport - Learn More