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.
9th Century B.C.E.
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 Assyrians build the world’s first long-distance canal systems
The first sophisticated long-distance canal systems were constructed in the Assyrian empire in the 9th century B.C.E. and incorporated tunnels several kilometres in length.