Cultural discrimination?

trisher What a shame you missed Carthage! We went there round about 1992. The whole holiday was fascinating, we stayed in Monastir but visited many places, including Tunis.
In Carthage you could wander around amongst the ruins and people were even sat on fallen columns, which surprised us.
Visiting Egypt in the early 1970’s we were aware that it wasn’t the safest place for tourists, and indeed, the next year quite a few were killed at the valley of the kings site.
I think it was 1973/4 when in Israel we witnessed a ‘dogfight’
In the air over the Golan Heights, and shortly after, the war there kicked off again.
You have to excercise caution, but would never do anything if you stayed at home.I have seen some amazing historical sites
In Europe and the middle east, which I am grateful for.

It's a pity if this is not being taught now.
We were certainly taught that Mesopotamia was 'the cradle of civilisation'.
We were not taught Indian or Chinese history, nor that of themSouthmAmerican peoples.

However, if history is taught well, it should give pupils a thirst for knowledge which they can follow up if they wish.

trisher I thought the Persians were the invading army at Thermopylae and that the Spartans and other Greeks held them off despite being heavily outnumbered but were eventually overcome.
The Persians were the invaders.

My memory may be a bit hazy though.

You have it right Callistemon the Greek city states including Sparta ( the 300!) held off the Persians at the pass for a few days, but were betrayed so that the Persians were shown a way to get behind the Greek lines.

You’re also right that we didn’t learn anything about China or South American history ( that I can remember) although we did a little about India, which interested me ( still does) I have an Indian friend who doesn’t know much ( or care much) about the history of her own country, which surprise me.
Still, not everyone is fascinated by history.

I shamefully admit i know very little of middle eastern culture and history. While being taught that the area was the cradle of civilization, i have not heard of most of the sites mentioned here.

Most of our history lessons covered ancient Egypt, Romans and Greece, after that we studied quite a bit of Canadian history. After Grade 9 (at approx 14 yrs old) history is an elective study. After a semester of having to memorize battles dates of WWI I opted for extra Geography classes.

Not liking to generalize, i would say most of my peers are not well versed in middle eastern historical sites. The younger generation probably less so. Shameful to admit, I must start studying again!

History did become more boring towards 'O' level so I elected not to take it at 'A' level!

However, when my DC were at senior school what they were taught seemed even more boring.

sites relevant to our history

But, if Mesopotamia was supposedly the Cradle of Civilisation, that is surely the history of us all?
Yes, we were invaded by the Romans so they are part of the history of Britain but other cultures eg the Egyptians, the Greeks, are probably no closer to our history.

We learned from the astronomers, the mathematicians, we use the numerical system rather than the Roman one.
What *is! ^our history?

Islam is a relatively new religion historically speaking, before that Persians practised Zororastrianism? but allowed their conquered peoples to follow their own beliefs.

Callistemon you are absolutely right of course but I suppose what I was trying to say was that it is the Greeks who are credited with being civilised and the Persians as the barbarians (although many of the Spartan practices were barbaric) and that is the viewpoint passed down to us. So that the history we learn and are taught is always slanted towards that.
lemon please don't rub it in, missing Carthage still rankles with me.
I think it should be possible to teach a module which at least introduced other civilisations and broadened the outlook. I think it might well help with everyday relationships as well.

A very good book that encompasses much of the history of the ME is The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan. It really sets world history in a new position.

www.amazon.co.uk/Silk-Roads-New-History-World/dp/1408839997/ref=sr_1_1?hvlocphy=9046855&hvnetw=g&keywords=the+silk+road&hvadid=259048277493&qid=1578605297&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3My89rr35gIVmKztCh0DSQjwEAMYAiAAEgJ62_D_BwE&hydadcr=28148_1724781&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=gransnetforum-21&hvtargid=kwd-299372924110&adgrpid=52848123813&hvrand=12483386638491740201&sr=8-1

Thanks SueDonim