City-states rise to power in ancient Greece
The city-states emerged from the Dark Ages which followed the fall of the Mycenaean civilization in Greece and by the 8th century B.C.E. a significant process of urbanisation had begun.
Cities
The Phoenicians found the city of Carthage in modern-day Tunisia
Originally a small port on the coast, established only as a stop for Phoenician traders to re-supply or repair their ships, Carthage grew to become the most powerful city in the Mediterranean before the rise of Rome.
The ancient Mayan city of Altun Ha is founded in modern-day Belize
Altun Ha was occupied for many centuries, from about 900 B.C.E to C.E. 1000. Most of the information on Altun Ha comes from the Classic Period from about C.E. 400 to C.E. 900, when the city was at its largest.
Jin City, known now as Beijing, is established as a city
Beijing City was established over 3,000 years ago and was called Jin City in the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century B.C.E. – 771 B.C.E.).
The ancient Mayan city of Caracol is founded in modern-day Belize
Long thought to be a tertiary center, it is now known that the site was one of the most important regional political centers of the Maya Lowlands during the Classic Period.
Ancient Andeans build first city in the Americas, Caral, in modern-day Peru
Caral was a large settlement in the Supe Valley, near Supe, Barranca Province, Peru. Caral is the most ancient city of the Americas and a well-studied site of the Norte Chico civilization.
Damascus – perhaps the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world – is founded in modern-day Syria
Pottery from the 3rd millennium B.C.E. has been discovered in the Old City of Damascus.
Uruk, in Mesopotamia, becomes first city in the history of humanity
Uruk, however, is the only contender for the title of `oldest city’ which has physical evidence and written documentation, in the form of cuneiform texts, dating the activities of the community from the earliest period.
Eridu, perhaps the world’s first city, is founded in modern-day Iraq
Eridu was long considered the earliest city in southern Mesopotamia and is still today argued to be the oldest city in the world.
Humans of the Tlatilco culture found Tlapacoya, perhaps the first city in the Americas
Tlapacoya is an important archaeological site in Mexico, located at the foot of the Tlapacoya volcano, southeast of Mexico City, on the former shore of Lake Chalco.