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Neolithic agricultural villages emerge. Millet and rice were among the first crops followed at later intervals by soybeans, and eventually oranges and peaches.
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Development of Sumerian cities--Uruk first, followed by Ur, Nippur, Shuruppak, Lagash, and others along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
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Early Dynastic period following the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt. This period includes the First and Second dynasties.
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The Early Dynastic period wherein Sumerian life was relatively chaotic as city-states along the watercourses vied for power. Sumerian art and culture flourished during this time period.
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Old Kingdom period that included the Third and Fourth dynasties. It was known as the Pyramid Age because of construction of the Step Pyramid, the pyramids at Giza, and the Sphinx
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Sargon establishes the Akkadian empire after successfully invading and defeating Sumeria. He sets up a new dynasty, essentially, bringing all the city-states under a single ruler for the first time.
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Naram-Sin, grandson of Sargon, succeeds to the throne as the third ruler of the Akkadian empire. He is most noted for declaring himself a god and building many temples in his honor.
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The Harappan Empire comes into being and becomes the earliest known urban culture in the Indian subcontinent.
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First Intermediate period is considered by many as a "dark age" in Egyptian history as it appeared the people had reached the zenith of their culture, art, and architecture
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The city-state Ur rises to dominance as the Akkadian empire crumbles from within.
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The Third Dynasty of Ur rules for roughly 100 years during which Sumerian culture and literature flourishes again.
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Middle Kingdom period is also known as the Period of Reunification. After a struggle, Montuhotep I becomes the first king of this relatively stable period in Egyptian history.
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The Amorites establish residence in Mesopotamia and rule there after the Ur Dynasty crumbles from without and within.
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Northwestern India is invade by the nomadic, light-skinned Aryan peoples
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Code of Hammurabi is enacted across Mesopotamia. It is the first evidence of a structured legal system in spite of some of its questionable directives.
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Babylonian King Hammurabi reigns over Mesopotamia
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During the Bronze Age, city-states arose, aristocratic charioteers were present, and pictographic writing is introduced. The kingdom of the Shang Dynasty was situated along the banks of the Yellow River in northern China.
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Second Intermediate period. This was a time marked by turmoil and disunity--this had a lasting effect on Egyptian culture.
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Kassite Dynasty established in Babylon
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New Kingdom. This period is considered the Golden Age of Egyptian history as it was the most prosperous and it included some of its most famous and powerful rulers.
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This is the Rigvedic period in which Punjab is the center of the Indo-Aryan civilization. This period saw the Indo-Aryans as a pastoral and tribal people settled on the Northeastern part of India.
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Hittite Empire is established. Ancient Anatolian people.
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The Assyrian Empire rises to power from modest beginnings in the city of Ashur
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The Late Vedic period. Doab is now the center of the Indo-Aryan civilization. As they spread down to the Ganges plain, they became more settled, developed social classes, and established complex political and economic systems.
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Brahmannas and other Vedic texts are composed. These contain teachings, hymns, myths, legends, and rituals important to Hinduism.
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The Upanishads are composed during this time. These form the core of Hindu teachings.
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The Iron Age brings about the rise of territorial states. The smaller, fragmented groups brought about a time of turmoil and strife until the emergence of the Ch'in Dynasty.
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Assyrian conquest of Syria-Palestine. Driven in large part by the desire to control a pathway to the Mediterranean establishing political and economic dominance.
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Assyria invades Egypt to expand its influence, power, and to gain access to and control of the desirable resources of the Kushites.
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The Assyrian capital Nineveh is destroyed. The Medes, Chaldeans, Scythians, and Cimmerians join in rebellion against Assyrian rule.
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Neo-Babylonian Empire is established. Characterized, in part, by a return to traditions and a resurrection of many Sumero-Akkadian traditions and artwork.
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Age of Philosophers begins and runs through circa 221 BCE. The One Hundred Schools of Thought was characterized by intellectual pursuits and the founding of Taoism and Confucianism, among other philosophical schools.
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The great epic poems Mahabharata and Ramayana are composed. Hindus regard these works as both texts about dharma and historical resources.
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China is finally unified. The Qin state invaded and united the sic other states--Han, Zhao, Yan, Wei, Chu and Qi--and these territories would be the basis of the Qin dynasty and modern China.
