Timechart of Early Mesopotamian History
Also see Biblical Timeline
Date (BC) | Area | City Event
|
3200
| Near East
| Farming, Clay bricks, irrigation canals, pottery and metallurgy
|
3100-2300
| Southern Mesopotamia
| The Ubaid culture flourishes
|
3000
| Southern Mesopotamia
| The Uruk period. Named after Uruk: an early city. First cities are created.
|
3000
| Mesopotamia
| Writing invented
|
2750
| Mesopotamia
| A Semitic people: the Akkadians begin to settle
|
2600
| Mesopotamia
| Wheeled transport introduced
|
2600
| Ur
| Ur is a leading center of civilization Sargon I becomes King-founds Akkadian dynasty
|
2400
| Agade
| Sargon I usurps the kingdom of Kish and builds a new city called Agade- Akkadian dynasty founded Early ziggurat
|
2371
| Sumer & Akkad
| Sargon I forms an empire in Sumer and Akkad
|
2255-2218
| Agade
| Naram-sin, grandson of Sargon I, becomes King and continues the empire
|
2230
| Agade
| Akkadian dynasty ends
|
2200
| Northern Babylonia
| The savage Gutians occupy northern Babylonia
|
2100
| Lagash
| The city of Lagash flourished during this time particularly under the King Gudea.
|
2100
| Ur
| Third dynasty of Ur forms extensive empire in Babylonia. Revival of the Sumerians as a political power
|
2100
| Ur
| Early ziggurat built
|
2000
| Southern Mesopotamia
| Ur and her empire collapses under the pressure of another group of people moving into Mesopotamia: the Amorites
|
2000
| Mesopotamia
| Amorites move into Mesopotamia
|
2006-1894
| Babylonia
| Isin-Larsa period: when Isin and Larsa were the dominant cities
|
1792-60
| Babylon
| Hammurapi rules
|
1763
| Larsa
| Larsa is overthrown by the Kassites
|
1757
| Mari
| Royal palace destroyed by the Babylonians
|
1415-1155
| Southern Mesopotamia
| Kassite invaders rule Babylon and most of southern Mesopotamia
|
1000
| Assyria
| Assyria becomes more important and begins to form an empire
|
612
| Assyria
| Assyria is defeated by the Medes and Babylonians
|
605-562
| Babylon
| Nebuchadnezzar II rules
|
539
| Babylon
| The Achaemenid (Persian) empire captures Babylon |