ARTICLES:
The World of the Hunter-Gatherers
See also:
The History of Ancient Mesopotamia
The History of East Asia (includes prehistories of China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Tibet and Vietnam)
MAPS:
For brief general overviews, look at the following maps:
The World: 3500 BCE, 2500 BCE, and 1500 BCE
The Middle East: 3500 BCE
South Asia: 3500 BCE
East Asia: 3500 BCE, 2500 BCE, and 1500 BCE