factbase-ancient-history/README.md

<!-- factbase:78a490 -->
# Ancient History Knowledge Base

## Overview

A structured knowledge base covering ancient history from the earliest civilizations through the fall of the Western Roman Empire @t[..=476]. The knowledge base spans roughly 3,000 years of human history across Eurasia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean world.

## Scope

This knowledge base documents:

- **Civilizations** — empires, kingdoms, and city-states (Sumer, Akkad, Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Greece, Rome, Carthage, Maurya, Han China, and more). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Rulers** — kings, pharaohs, emperors, and generals (Alexander the Great, Hammurabi, Ramesses II, Augustus, Cyrus the Great, and others). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Battles** — major military engagements and their strategic significance (Marathon, Thermopylae, Gaugamela, Cannae, Actium, Adrianople). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Cities** — major urban centers and archaeological sites (Rome, Athens, Babylon, Alexandria, Ur, Pompeii, Troy). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Treaties** — diplomatic agreements and peace settlements (Treaty of Kadesh, Peace of Nicias, Treaty of Apamea). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Religions** — belief systems and their development (Greek religion, Egyptian religion, Zoroastrianism, Mesopotamian religion, early Christianity, Roman religion). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Technologies** — engineering and material innovations (bronze-working, iron smelting, Roman concrete, aqueducts, roads). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Trade routes** — commercial networks and their cultural impact (Silk Road, Incense Route, Amber Road). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Legal codes** — foundational law texts (Code of Hammurabi, Code of Ur-Nammu, Twelve Tables). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Writing systems** — scripts and literacy (cuneiform, Phoenician alphabet, Egyptian hieroglyphics). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Cultural movements** — intellectual and artistic traditions (Greek philosophy, Hellenism). This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- **Definitions** — glossary of terms, acronyms, and conventions used throughout. This is a static description of the knowledge base scope, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->

## Conventions

- Dates use BCE/CE notation throughout (not BC/AD). This is an editorial convention for this knowledge base, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- Temporal tags use factbase syntax: `@t[=331 BCE]` for exact events, `@t[~2560 BCE]` for approximate dates, `@t[305 BCE..30 BCE]` for ranges <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- Approximate dates (common in ancient history) are marked with `~`. This is an editorial convention for this knowledge base, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- Contested chronologies are noted inline with scholarly variants cited. This is an editorial convention for this knowledge base, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- Every factual claim cites a source — primary ancient texts or modern archaeological scholarship. This is an editorial convention for this knowledge base, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
- Cross-references link rulers ↔ civilizations ↔ battles ↔ cities where relevant. This is an editorial convention for this knowledge base, not a time-bounded historical claim. No temporal tag needed. <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
## Folder Structure

| Folder | Document Type | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| `battles/` | battle | Military engagements |
| `cities/` | city | Urban centers and archaeological sites |
| `civilizations/` | civilization | Empires, kingdoms, and cultures |
| `cultural-movements/` | cultural-movement | Intellectual and artistic traditions |
| `definitions/` | definition | Glossary and term definitions |
| `legal-codes/` | legal-code | Law texts and governance documents |
| `religions/` | religion | Belief systems and religious history |
| `rulers/` | person | Individual rulers and leaders |
| `technologies/` | technology | Engineering and material innovations |
| `trade-routes/` | trade-route | Commercial and cultural exchange networks |
| `treaties/` | treaty | Diplomatic agreements |
| `writing-systems/` | writing-system | Scripts and literacy systems |

## Sources

Primary sources include Herodotus, Thucydides, Livy, Polybius, Plutarch, Strabo, and cuneiform tablets. Secondary sources draw on peer-reviewed archaeology, university publications, and established encyclopedias such as the Oxford Classical Dictionary and the Cambridge Ancient History series.