c. 830s★★★★★
House of Wisdom in Baghdad
Under Caliph al-Ma'mun the House of Wisdom becomes a centre of translation and scholarship, preserving and extending Greek, Persian and Indian learning.
ScienceCulture· Iraq
Events this year
Ongoing
c. 3rd century – c. 9th century★★★★★
Classic period of Maya civilization
Maya city-states such as Tikal, Palenque and Calakmul reach their height in architecture, writing, astronomy and calendrics.
CultureScience· Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras
c. 3rd century – c. 11th century★★★★★
The Ghana Empire in West Africa
The Soninke Ghana Empire (Wagadu) flourished in what is now Mauritania and Mali, growing rich from control of the trans-Saharan gold and salt trade.
DynastyEconomy· Mauritania, Mali
c. 8th century – c. 10th century★★★★★
Classic Maya collapse
Many Maya cities of the southern lowlands are gradually abandoned, possibly due to drought, warfare and political crisis.
Politics· Guatemala, Mexico
c. 819 – 999★★★★★
The Samanids and Bukhara's golden age
The Persian Samanid dynasty rules Central Asia and Khorasan, making Bukhara and Samarkand cultural and trade centres on the Silk Road.
DynastyCultureEconomy· Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan