Timeline – Mesopotamia

  • 10000 BCE

Beginnings ofagriculturein the Middle East.

  • 9000 BCE

Cultivation of wild cereals in theFertile Crescent.

  • 8000 BCE

End of the last Ice Age.

  • 6500 BCE

Firstpotteryin theNear East.

  • c. 6000 BCE

Ninevehis first settled.

  • c. 5400 BCE

TheCityofEriduis founded.

  • 5000 BCE

Irrigation andagriculturebegin in earnest inMesopotamia.

  • c. 5000 BCE

Godin Tepesettled

  • c. 5000 BCE

Sumerinhabited by Ubaid people.

  • c. 5000 BCE - 4100 BCE

The Ubaid Period inSumer.

  • 5000 BCE - 1750 BCE

Sumeriancivilizationin the Tigris-Euphrates valley.

  • c. 4500 BCE

TheSumeriansbuilt their firsttemple.

  • c. 4500 BCE

TheCityofUrukfounded.

  • 4100 BCE - 2900 BCE

UrukPeriod inMesopotamia. Firstcities.

  • 4100 BCE - 2900 BCE

UrukPeriod inSumer.

  • c. 4000 BCE

First settlement ofUr.

  • c. 3600 BCE

Invention ofwritinginSumeratUruk.

  • 3400 BCE

Priests become the rulers of Mesopotamiancities.

  • 2900 BCE - 2334 BCE

The Early Dynastic Period inSumer.

  • 2500 BCE

First Dynasty of Lagash under King Eannutum is firstempireinMesopotamia.

  • 2350 BCE

First code of laws by Urukagina, king of Lagash.

  • 2334 BCE - 2279 BCE

Sargon ofAkkad(the Great) reigns overMesopotamiaand thus creates the world's firstempire.

  • 2334 BCE - 2218 BCE

TheAkkadianEmpirerulesSumer.

  • c. 2330 BCE

Sargon ofAkkadsacksUr.

  • 2218 BCE - 2047 BCE

The Gutian Period inSumer.

  • c. 2150 BCE - 2000 BCE

TheSumerianEpic ofGilgameshwritten on clay tablets.

  • 2116 BCE - 2110 BCE

Utchengal's reign overSumerianandAkkadiancities.

  • 2111 BCE - 2094 BCE

Ur-Nammu's reign, according to middle chronology.

  • 2100 BCE

First ziggurats inUr,Eridu,Uruk, and Nippur.

  • c. 2100 BCE

The Code ofUr-Nammu (the earliest known code of laws) is written.

  • 2100 BCE

The Reign of Utu-Hegal atUrukinSumerand creation of Sumerian King List.

  • c. 2083 BCE - c. 2050 BCE

The Dark Age ofMesopotamia.

  • 2047 BCE - 1750 BCE

Third dynasty ofUr.

  • 2047 BCE - 1750 BCE

TheUrIII Period inSumer, known as the Sumerian Renaissance.

  • c. 2038 BCE

King Shulgi ofUrbuilds his greatwallinSumer.

  • 2034 BCE

Amoritesmigrate intoMesopotamia, possibly fromSyriaorArabia.

  • 2000 BCE

Domesticated horses introduced inMesopotamia.

  • c. 2000 BCE - 1600 BCE

Amoriteperiod inMesopotamia.

  • 1900 BCE

Ashur, capial ofAssyria, is founded.

  • c. 1900 BCE - c. 1400 BCE

Tradeflourishes betweenMesopotamiaand other regions.

  • 1894 BCE

Amoritedynasty established inBabylon.

  • 1795 BCE - 1750 BCE

Life ofHammurabi, king ofBabylon.

  • c. 1792 BCE

KingHammurabibuildswallsofBabylon.

  • 1787 BCE

HammurabiofBabylonconquersUrukand Isin.

  • c. 1760 BCE

The Code ofHammurabi: One of the earliest codes of law in the world.

  • 1757 BCE

HammurabiofBabylondestroys Mari.

  • 1750 BCE

ElamconquersUr.

  • 1750 BCE

Elamiteinvasion andAmoritemigration ends theSumeriancivilization.

  • 1680 BCE

Hurrians occupyAssyria.

  • 1595 BCE

King Mursilis of theHittitessacksBabylon. Begin of Babylonian "dark ages."

  • 1595 BCE

HittitessackBabylon, endingAmoriterule.

  • 1550 BCE

Kingdom ofMittaniis founded.

  • 1500 BCE

Egyptianempireextends to the Euphrates.

  • c. 1500 BCE

Rise of the kingdom ofMitanni.

  • 1472 BCE

MittaniannexesAssyria.

  • 1400 BCE

Assyriaregains its independence.

  • c. 1350 BCE

Peak ofMitannipower, it is considered a great nation.

  • 1350 BCE - 1250 BCE

TheHittiteempireis at its peak.

  • c. 1344 BCE - 1322 BCE

King Suppiluliumas I of theHittitessacks theMitannicapital Washukanni and installs Artatama II as vassal king.

  • c. 1321 BCE

WesternMittaniis conquered by theHittites.

  • 1285 BCE

Peak ofHittitepower.

  • 1220 BCE

Babylonis under Assyrian control.

  • 1080 BCE

Aramaeans invadeMesopotamia.

  • 1000 BCE

Chaldeans occupyUr.

  • 853 BCE

Babyloniankings depend on Assyrian military support.

  • 750 BCE - 705 BCE

Peak of the Assyrianempire.

  • 734 BCE

Babylonis captured by Chaldeans.

  • 729 BCE

Babylonis occupied by Assyrians.

  • 612 BCE

Downfall of the Assyrianempire.

  • 605 BCE - 562 BCE

Nebuchadnezzar IIis king ofBabylon.

  • 539 BCE

Fall ofBabylon, conquered by Cyrus ofPersia. Return of the Jews.

  • 500 BCE - 330 BCE

TheAchaemenidEmpirerules inMesopotamia, Persian Royal Road in use.

  • 485 BCE

Babylonis destroyed byXerxes, King ofPersia.

  • 323 BCE - 31 BCE

TheHellenisticAge.Greek thought and culture infuses with indigenous people.

  • 312 BCE

SeleucosconquersBabylonand founds theSeleuciddynasty.

  • 304 BCE - 64 BCE

Rule of theSeleucidsinMesopotamia.

  • 129 BCE

ParthiansconquerMesopotamia. TheSilk RoadtoChinais now controlled by the Parthians.

  • 100 BCE

Ctesiphon becomes Parthian capital.

  • 115 CE - 117 CE

RomeoccupiesMesopotamia.

  • 224 CE

Sasaniansoverthrow the Parthians.

  • 234 CE

EmperorMaximinusThraxis governor ofMesopotamia.

  • 637 CE

MuslimConquestofMesopotamia.