This tutorial can be navigated in two fashions: chronologically or thematically. The chronological approach presents the various agents and items of contact arranged by time period. In the thematic approach, contacts are arranged by the category of agency. A separate category dealing with Modes of Transport collects articles on developments and innovations in this critical area.

The vast areal and chronological extent of human interactions is far too great to be comprehensibly covered within a tutorial of this nature and this site is not intended to provide detailed information on all of the cultures of the Old World. Rather, the intention of this tutorial is to briefly explain the agents of contact and the methods of cultural conversion, and to offer some examples of cross-cultural contact in the Old World with the goal of inspiring students to examine other instances of cultural contact on their own.