Ideal Shape of History

The ideal shape to consider the progression of history until this point in time would probably be the usage of charts (rectangles, squares..). This is because a line would not suffice for all the various regions that have established civilizations that grew independently of each other. Likewise, I do not feel as if something like a graphic organizer (the one with bubbles, etc) would be good enough either. The chart provides a nice template, more space, and makes it easier to see the differences/similarities between regions.