The course surveys the earliest civilizations in Africa and elsewhere from a comparative standpoint. For Africa, it examines the civilization of Egypt, Kush, and Meroe up to the 1st Century CE. It also studies the civilization of Greece circa 1600 to 323 BC, Rome up to 410 BC, China up to AD 200 and then the civilizations of Assyria, Palestine, Persia and ancient India. The course enables students to acquire adequate knowledge of the features of the various civilizations and their legacies to subsequent civilizations. More importantly, it also enables students to appreciate Africa’s contributions to, world knowledge and technological progress which have hitherto gone unrecognized.