The Rosetta Stone was discovered in the early nineteenth century by French troops, serving Napoleon in North Africa. The discovery of the Rosetta Stone was essential to translating Egyptian hieroglyphics for the first time.

The Hittites were the first people to produce iron and use it for the construction of more powerful weapons. The Hittites mastery of iron metallurgy allowed them to conquer a vast territory in the Middle East.

The Hyksos invaded Egypt at the end of the Middle Kingdom and were able to easily conquer the Egyptians because the Egyptians had not developed a militaristic culture and had no advanced weaponry. However, the invading Hyksos stayed in Egypt and ruled the nation for a century. This led to the proliferation of military technology into Egyptian society. After the Egyptians overthrew the Hyksos their society had become much more militaristic and the subsequent period of Egyptian history is marked by continuous military conquest and territorial expansion.

Most historians believe that the human ability to speak first developed as an effective way to communicate and organize during hunts. What is certain is that when speech first emerged it was designed to facilitate hunting and announce potential threats to the tribe.

Papyrus is a reed that grows by the Nile River. The Egyptians, who first started writing circa 3,150 BCE, learned how to use papyrus to make paper which they would use for writing.

Iron metallurgy was first developed in the Middle East. The Hittites are thought to be the first people to develop iron metallurgy and they used their new technology to conquer an expansive empire.

The domestication of horses took place almost six thousand years ago. And, until the invention of the steam engine, in the eighteenth century, travelling by horseback was the fastest way for man to travel. The invention of the steam engine allowed for the construction of trains and steam ships which altered the world dramatically.

Paleolithic humans invented new forms of technology systematically, as can be seen in the passage with the invention of the wheel. To do something systematically means to have a system, method, or plan. We can see that method in the passage with the descriptions of how the wheel was developed from the cylinder to the wheel-and-axle concept.

Most historians agree that the earliest forms of writing were invented to facilitate trade and keep stock of inventory. In Sumer writing emerged to note, to provide one example, how many sheep had been shipped to which city and for what price. The earliest writing consisted of pictures and images which represented certain products and quantities.

Iron metallurgy is the name given to the process of heating, adjusting, or purifying iron to make it stronger. Iron metallurgy was an important development in human history as it allowed for more powerful weapons and the development of new types of industry.