Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script and continuing until the expansion of Islam in late antiquity. Ancient history covers all continents inhabited by humans in the period 3000 BC – AD 750. The three-age system periodizes ancient history into the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age, with recorded history generally considered to begin with the Bronze Age. The start and end of the three ages vary between world regions. In many regions the Bronze Age is generally considered to begin a few centuries prior to 3000 BC, while the end of the Iron Age varies from the early first millennium BC in some regions to the late first millennium AD in others.

प्राचीन इतिहास अतीत की घटनाओं का समुच्चय है। इसकी शुरुआत दर्ज किये गए मानव इतिहास से प्रारंभिक मध्य युग, यहाँ तक कि वैदिक युग तक विस्तृत है। इतिहास की अवधि 5000 साल है जिसकी शुरुआत सुमेरियन क्यूनीफ़ॉर्म लिपि, जो 30 वीं सदी की प्राचीनतम व सुसंगत लेखन पद्दति से होती है।