LEGENDS

EGYPTIAN SUMERIANS MESOPOTAMIA MINOAN AMERICAS EARLY CIVILIZATIONS TIMELINE

CHINESE INDUS ASIA EUROPE ASSYRIA
Timeline Events 3000 BCE Chinese craftsmen were.
3,000-700 This period saw the emergence of complex Making bronze tools
Civilizations. Communities flourished and Trade 3000 BCE The bronze age was underway in western Asia
BCE
developed in the fertile valleys of Egypt, india,
western asia, and china. Europe and central and 3RD MIL Europe’s first civilization
Was emerging on the Mediterranean island of crete, which lay
south America Also flourished during this time. At the heart of Mediterranean trade routes. Known as the
8000 BCE As early as 8000 BCE, millet had been Minoan civilization, it grew prosperous through trade and
Farming.
Cultivated in the area around yang Shao 2800 BCE The first signs of civilization in the Americas
in Henan Province. appeared Along the coast of Peru and in the
6200 BCE The Lower Euphrates River plains Andes. AGRICULTURE
had been farmed 2700 BCE JADE VESSELS IN CHINA
6000 BCE Metalworking had begun in 2700-2500 SOUTHERN MESOPOTAMIA was a patchwork of over 40
city-states, among which Ur, Uruk, Nippur, and Kish were
Mesopotamia BCE the most
important.
5000 BCE THE PLOW HAD BEEN IN USE SINCE
2700 BCE The Indus civilization (2700–2500
4th MIL Farming Communities had evolved BCE)emerged in its mature form
into two kingdoms 2700-2500 In western asia, mesopotamia (2700 –2500 bce)
3500 BCE Farming communities were growing BCE
remained a Patchwork of small but powerful city-
states.
Into towns and then cities such as Ur, IN EGYPT, THIS PERIOD SAW A WEAKENING OF THE
2700-2500
uruk, and Eridu. POWER OF THE OLD KINGDOM RULERSFAVOR OF
BCE REGIONAL GOVERNORS CALLED NOMARCHS,
3500 BCE WHEELED CARTS THEINDUS PLAIN CONTAINED DOZENS OF TOWNS AND CITIES. OF
2600 BCE THESE, MOHENJO-DARO ON THE INDUS RIVER, AND HARAPPA,
3300 BCE The first pictographic Writing TO THE NORTHEAST,

developed in sumer 2686 BCE In Egypt, king sanakht acceded to the throne
3200 BCE Sumerian smiths began 2650
Manufacturing bronze. 2600 BCE In western Europe, the bell beaker culture
3200 BCE In china, the neolithic longshan flourished. Named after the distinctive shape of
pottery vessels Found in graves, this culture
culture (3200 bce) continued
emerged by c. 2600 BCE in France, Spain,
To develop along the yellow river in Netherlands.
shandong province. 2500 BCE THE BRONZE AGE IN EUROPE SEEMS TO
3100 BCE In Egypt, one of the world’s most HAVE DEVELOPED SEPARATELY
SOME CITIZENS OF UR WERE BURIED IN TOMBS ALONG
complex ancient Civilizations was 2500 BCE WITH TREASURES SUCH AS THE STANDARD OF UR.
forming along the banks of the Nile 2500-2350 IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 3RD MILLENNIUM BCE,
CIVILIZATIONS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP IN WESTERN ASIA,
river by 3100 BCE. BCE EGYPT, AND SOUTHERN ASIA, AND COMPLEX SOCIETIES
WERE EMERGING IN CHINA, EUROPE, AND SOUTH AMERICA.
3100 BCE Upper Egypt in the south and lower INDUS SCRIPT OF HUNDREDS OF SIGNS
2500 BCE
Egypt in the North. King Narmer APPEARED ON SEALS AND POTTERY.
united the two kingdoms. 2500 BCE IN SOUTHERN ASIA, THE INDUS CIVILIZATION, WHICH HAD THRIVED
DURING THE 3RD MILLENNIUM
THE NEIGHBORING DAWENKOU
2400 BCE CULTURE DEVELOPED INTO THE LONGSHAN CULTURE OF
3100–2686 The early dynastic period was SHANGDONG PROVINCE. LONGSHAN FARMERS GREW RICE
AFTER DEVELOPING IRRIGATION SYSTEMS.
BCE already Characterized by many of the IN EGYPT, KING MENTUHOTEP HAD
2350–2000
celebrated aspects of REUNITED THE COUNTRY AT THE END OF
BCE THE 3RD MILLENNIUM
Egyptian culture: HIEROGLYPHIC EGYPT’S OLD KINGDOM COLLAPSED FOLLOWING A
writing, a Sophisticated religion, 2181 BCE SERIES OF NATURAL DISASTERS, INCLUDING FAMINE. THIS
UNDERMINED THE AUTHORITY OF THE KING, MEMPHIS, THE
preserving the dead CAPITAL CITY OF THE OLD KINGDOM, WAS OVERTHROWN AS
NOMARCHS AND NOBLES SEIZED CONTROL OF THE PROVINCES. A
Egyptian kings—later known as TIME OF UNRESTFIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, THE FIRST OF THE
THREE ERAS OF UNCERTAINTY IN EGYPTIAN HISTORY.
pharaohs—ruled with The help of a THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE OF GUTIUM ATTACKED the
2150 BCE
chief minister, or vizier, regional Akkadian Empire Sumerian states such as Kish, Ur,
and Lagash took the opportunity to reassert their
Governors (nomarchs), independence.
3000- During the last half of the fourth 2112 BCE Ur under Ur-Nammu ( 2112– 2095
BCE) gained ascendancy. The armies of Ur overran eastern
2700 BCE millennium BCE, the world’s first Mesopotamia and Elam, and regained much of Sargon’s
empire.
civilizations arose, first in Western SUMERIAN SCHOLARS DEVISED A METHOD OF COUNTING,
Asia, then north Africa and south BASED ON UNITS OF 60. UR-NAMMU ALSO
COMMISSIONED THE FIRST ZIGGURAT
Asia. THE MINOAN CIVILIZATION, NAMED AFTER THE
2000–1850
3000 BCE The world’s First urban culture had LEGENDARY KING MINOS, FLOURISHED ON THE AEGEAN
BCE ISLAND OF CRETE IN THE EARLY 2ND MILLENNIUM,
begun to develop in Southern REACHING ITS PEAK BETWEEN 2000 AND 1600 BCE.
Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq. 1985 BCE CENTRALIZED RULE ONLY BEGAN
WITH THE REIGN OF AMENEMHET I, FROM
LEGENDS
EGYPTIAN SUMERIANS MESOPOTAMIA MINOAN AMERICAS EARLY CIVILIZATIONS TIMELINE
CHINESE INDUS ASIA EUROPE ASSYRIA
ABOUT 1985 BCE, DURING THE MIDDLE
KINGDOM.
1965 BCE HIS SUCCESSOR SENWOSRET I
CONQUERED THE LAND OF NUBIA TO THE SOUTH,
EXTENDING EGYPT’S BORDERS AS FAR AS THE
SECOND CATARACT OF THE NILE.
1850 BCE IN CHINA, THE SHANG CIVILIZATION
DEVELOPED ALONG THE YELLOW RIVER
THESE PALACES WERE
1700 BCE BURNED DOWN, AND ONLY KNOSSOS WAS
REBUILT, ON A MORE MAGNIFICENT SCALE THAN
BEFORE, SUGGESTING ITS DOMINANCE OVER THE
ENTIRE ISLAND.
IN SOUTH AMERICA, LARGE-SCALE
1800 BCE CULTIVATION WAS TAKING PLACE
ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST
1894 BCE In Western Asia, the fall of the Ur III Empire
led to the rise of two states—Assyria in the
north and Babylon in the southeast—which
were to dominate Mesopotamia for the next
1,500 years. The first dynasty of Babylon was
established in c. 1894 BCE.
IN THE NORTH, THE CITY OF ASHUR
1813 BCE BECAME AN IMPORTANT TRADING CENTER
IN THE 20TH CENTURY BCE. IN 1813 BCE, IT
WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE AMORITE KING
SHAMSHI-ADAD, WHO CARVED OUT A
KINGDOM IN NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA.
1781 BCE WHEN THE ASSYRIAN KING SHAMSHI-ADAD
DIED IN 1781 BCE, HE WAS SUCCEEDED BY HIS
SON ISHME-DAGAN. DURING HIS REIGN,
ASSYRIA DECLINED, ALLOWING THE STATE OF
BABYLON TO COME TO THE FORE.
1763-1762 FROM 1760 BCE, HAMMURABI EMBARKED ON A
SERIES OF CONQUESTS, WHICH MADE BABYLON
BCE THE REGION’S FOREMOST STATE. BETWEEN
1763–1762 BCE, HE DEFEATED ELAM TO THE EAST
AND LARSA, WHICH CONTROLLED SUMER, TO
THE SOUTH.
1757 BCE IN 1757–1755 BCE, KING HAMMURABI
CONQUERED MUCH OF NORTHERN
MESOPOTAMIA AND TOOK THE CITY OF
ESHNUNNA AFTER DIVERTING ITS WATER
HAMMURABI INTRODUCED THE
BABYLONIANLAW CODE IN THE
REGION UNDER HISCONTROL. ITS
282 LAWS