World History Timeline before B.C.E.

World History Timeline

Asian Timeline European Timeline

Dates are B.C.E. unless noted * mya=million years ago 4.4 mya Earliest evidence of pre-human hominid species 4-2 mya Hominid species-(australopithecus afarensis) in Ethiopia 1.8 mya Nutcracker Man discovered in Tanzania by Mary Leakey 1.8 mya Homo habilis or tool-making man 1.7 mya Homo erectus or erect man ~1 mya Homo erectus begins to migrate to Europe and Asia 100,000-40,000 Neanderthal Man, in Africa and Europe 100,000+ Homo sapiens, or wise man 10,000-6,000 Shift from Hunter Gatherer to food producer in some areas (West Asia initially, Egypt by 6,000) c.5000-3000 Yangshao culture in China c.5000 Mangoes cultivated in SE Asia 5000 Domestication of corn in Mexico c.3750 First evidence of cotton weaving. Mohenjo-Daro, India. c.3500-2500 Longshan culture in China c.3400 First evidence of wheel-made pottery. Sumeria. c.3200-1600 Indus Valley civilization c.3200-2340 Cities in Mesopotamia c.3200 Wheeled transport develops in Mesopotamia. c.3200 Lunar calendar in Mesopotamia c.3200 Cuneiform in Sumeria. 3200 Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt 3100 Egyptian hieroglyphic writing 3000 Egyptians develop weaving from plant fibers (flax) c.3000-2000 Anthropomorphic religion in Mesopotamia 3000 Silk manufacturing. China. 2770-2200 Old Kingdom in Egypt 2650 Construction of first pyramid in Egypt, first monumental columnar forms 2500-1500 Indus Civilization in India ~2500 Basic forms for furniture, wind instruments in Egypt 2334-c.2200 Akkadian Empire c. 2200-1750 Hsia (Xia) Dynasty in China 2050-1786 Middle Kingdom in Egypt ~2000 Terra-cotta pottery in Egypt ~2000 Solar Calendar in Egypt c.2000 Minoan worship of the Mother Goddess c.2000 Extensive commerce between Egypt and Crete c.2000-1500 Height of Minoan Civilization c.2000-1800 Mathematical advances in Old Babylonia c.2000-1600 Old Babylonian Empire c.2000 Horse introduced to W. Asia c.2000 "Personal" religion develops in Mesopotamia 2000 Potatoes cultivated in Andes c.1900 Epic of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia. 1800 Egyptian belief in personal immortality c.1790 Code of Hammurabi c.1750-1100 Shang Dynasty in China c.1700-1500 Evidence of ideographic script in China c.1600-1200 Mycenaean civilization on mainland Greece c.1600-1200 Hittite Empire in Asia Minor (Anatolia) c.1600 Invention of alphabet (consonants only). Syria ~1580-1090 Temple building in Egypt 1560-1087 New Kingdom in Egypt c.1550 Kassites overthrow Babylonians c.1523-1027 Shang dynasty and invention of writing c.1500-300C.E. Olmec civilization in Central America c.1500-500 Arrival of the Aryans and development of Vedic society (India) 1500 Lima Beans Cultivated in Peru c.1500-800 Dark Ages of Greek history c.1500-1400 Mycenaean dominance on Crete c.1400 Destruction of Knossos and end of Minoan Civilization c.1400 Development of alphabet by Phoenicians ~1375 Akhenaton introduces monotheism in Egypt ~1375 Naturalistic art in Egypt ~1300 Transparent glass invented in Egypt ~1300 Use of Papyrus, pen, and ink for writing in Egypt ~1300-1100 Increasing use of iron in Western Asia c.1250 Trojan War c.1250 Moses unites Hebrews in worship of Yahweh c.1200-1100 Collapse of Mycenaean civilization in Greece c.1200s Moses leads Hebrews from Egypt to Palestine c.1200-1025 Hebrew occupation of Canaan c.1200-800 Vedas in India c.1100-250 Zhou (Chou) Dynasty in China c.1100-771 Western Zhou (Chou) Dynasty in China c.1025-933 Unified Hebrew monarchy, Saul, David, and Solomon c.1000 Rise of caste system in India 933-722 Kingdom of Israel 933-586 Kingdom of Judah c.800-600 Upanishads in India c.800 Beginning of city-states in Greece 771-c.250 Eastern Zhou (Chou) c.753 Rome founded c.750-612 Height of Assyrian Empire c.750-600 Concentration of landed wealth in Greece c.750-600 Greek overseas expansion c.750-550 Hebrew prophetic revolution c.750-400 Astronomical observation and record-keeping by New Babylonians c.750 The Iliad and The Odyssey c.700 Earliest Greek settlement in Egypt's Nile delta c.650 Shift from cavalry to infantry in Greece c.650-500 Doric architectural style c.625 Zoroaster formulates religion in Persia 612-539 New Babylonian Empire c.600 Invention of coinage by Lydians c.600 Thales of Miletus c.600 Deuteronomic code 594 Reforms of Solon in Athens 586 Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem c.563-483 Life of Gautama, the Buddha c.551-479 Confucius c.550 Laozi c.540-468 Life of Mahavira, founder of Jainism in India 539 Conquest of Babylon by Persians 525 Cambyses, the Persian ruler, conquers Egypt 525 Cambyses, the Persian ruler, conquers Egypt c.530 Pythagoras 525-456 Aeschylus c.513 Persian conquest of northwestern India and Indus Valley 508 Reforms of Cleisthenes in Athens c.500-432 Phidias c.500-400 Ionic architectural style c.500 Establishment of Roman Republic c.500 Orphic and Eleusinian mystery cults c.500 Crop cultivation in rows in China c.500 Iron plow in China c.500 Royal Road of Persians 496-406 Sophocles 490-479 Greco-Persian War c.490-420 Protagoras 490-479 Greco-Persian War 487-429 Perfection of Athenian democracy c.484-420 Herodotus c.480-406 Euripides 478-404 Delian League c.471-400 Thucydides 469-399 Socrates c.460 The Parthenon 460-c.377 Hippocrates c.460-362 Democritus c.450 Hebrew Song of Songs c.450 Law of the Twelve Tables, Rome c.450-400 The Sophists c.448-380 Aristophanes 431-404 Peloponnesian War 429-347 Plato c.400-300 Corinthian style architecture c.400 B.C.E.-70C.E. Hebrew prophetic revolution c.400 Book of Job c.400 Coinage in China c.400 Trace harness in China c.400 Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu) c.400-200 Mahabharata and Ramayana reach final form in India 384-322 Aristotle c.373-288 Mencius c.370-310 Praxiteles 342-270 Epicurus 338 Macedonian conquest of Greece 334-323 Conquests of Alexander the Great 323 Death of Alexander, division of his empire c.323-285 Euclid c.322-183 Maurya dynasty in India c.320-250 Zeno the Stoic 310-230 Aristarchus c.300-700C.E. Teotihuacán culture in Mexico 300-237 Xunzi (Hsün-tzu) c.300-100 Hellenistic international trade c.300 Wrought iron in China c.300 Emergence of Mithraism c.287-212 Archimedes c.276-195 Eratosthenes c.273-232 Reign of Emporer Ashoka in India 264-146 Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage c.261 Ashoka conquers Kalinga, leading to spread of Buddhism in India c.250-208 Han Fei-tzu and Li Ssu--development of Legalism in China c.250-100 Growth of slavery, decline of small farmer in Rome c.250-50 Oriental mystery cults in Rome 221-206 Unification of China under Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty 221-206 Destruction of Confucian literature under Legalist regime 221-206 Standardization of weights and measures, coinage, writing system under Legalist regime c.220-150 Herophilus 206B.C.E.-220C.E. Han Dynasty in China c.205-118 Polybius c.200 Use of the seed drill in China c.200 The Skeptics c.200 Use of iron in Sub-saharan Africa c.183-145 Greek Invasion of India c.183-145 Greek Invasion of India c.179-104 Dong Zhongsho (Tung Chung-shu) 146 Destruction of Carthage by Rome 146 Destruction of Carthage by Rome c.146-60 Introduction of Greek philosophy to Rome c. 145-86 Sima Qian (Ssu-ma Ch'ien) c.141-87 Emporer Han Wudi (Wu Ti) in China c.140 First Chinese ambassadors to India 133-121 Reforms of the Gracchi brothers in Rome 111 Chinese expansion to S. China Sea and Vietnam 106-43 Cicero c. 100 Beginning of Japanese state c. 100 Invention of the Rudder in China 98-55 Lucretius 70-19 Virgil 65-8 Horace 59B.C.E.-17C.E. Livy 47 Fire destroys the great library at Alexandria 46-44 Dictatorship of Caesar in Rome 43B.C.E.-17C.E. Ovid 27B.C.E.-14C.E. Principate of Augustus Caesar in Rome